SPOKANE, Wash.— Health officials in Spokane County said a growing cyclosporiasis outbreak across the country may reach the Inland Northwest.
More than half of U.S. states, including Washington and Oregon, are investigating cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasite that causes severe intestinal illness. Michigan, Ohio and Kansas is currently investigating thousands of cases, while many other states are dealing with cases in the hundreds.
Cyclosporiasis spreads through food or water contaminated with feces. When cases spread in the U.S., they are usually linked to produce that was not cleaned properly. NonStop Local spoke with Dr. Francisco Velazquez, Spokane County’s health officer, who explained the parasite does not spread from person to person. Velazquez also said finding the exact source of the outbreak was difficult. “Some people may be infected and not know, some people may be infected for a week or two and not know, so it’ll be hard to go back in time and determine where were you a week ago and what were you eating, particularly when we’re talking about common fruits and vegetables,” Velazquez said…