LAFAYETTE, La. — Louisiana’s cyclospora case count nearly doubled in the span of a week, and Lafayette Parish is one of the two areas seeing the most infections.
The Louisiana Department of Health reported 43 cases of cyclosporiasis as of Tuesday, up from 23 the previous week. Five people have been hospitalized, up from one. No deaths have been reported. A department representative said Wednesday that cases have turned up in almost every region of the state, with the highest numbers coming out of East Baton Rouge and Lafayette parishes.
Louisiana has averaged roughly 30 cases a year during this same stretch of the calendar over the past five years, putting this year’s numbers well outside the norm. The state is now one of 38 investigating outbreaks of the illness.
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What Cyclosporiasis Does and Who’s at Risk
Cyclosporiasis is caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis, a microscopic parasite that produces watery diarrhea, often described as explosive, along with cramping, nausea, and fatigue. The illness isn’t usually life-threatening and is typically treated with antibiotics, but symptoms can last for weeks, and sometimes a month or more, if left untreated…