Connecticut's public health commissioner on Thursday said the state had confirmed 30 cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection sickening thousands across the country in recent weeks with serious bouts of diarrhea.
Dr. Manisha Juthani said the Connecticut Department of Public Health had not yet identified a common source for the typically food-borne illness, and none of the 30 patients had required hospitalization.
"This is nearly double the 17 cases that we had at this point last year," Juthani said.
Juthani said 12 of the cases were contracted domestically and five had been contracted overseas. Two of the cases were linked to the outbreak in Michigan, possibly the largest active outbreak in the country, she said.
While a common food source had yet to be identified, Juthani said, historically the parasite "has often been linked to fresh produce, including things like bagged salad mixes and kits, fresh cilantro, fresh basil, raspberries, snow peas, [and] green onions."
"That's not an exhaustive list, that's just an example of types of produce that have been implicated in the past, and so what we are recommending people do is just take a little bit of extra caution in how you prepare those foods," Juthani said.
She recommends washing produce thoroughly, as well as washing hands with soap and water before and after handling food. Cooking foods to 158 degrees Fahrenheit also kills the parasite entirely, she said.
"Good food safety practices can always be helpful," she said.
Juthani said patients sickened with cyclosporiasis tend to respond well to treatment via antibiotics and hydration.
