Gabe Stark
Reporter

Grundy County has recorded fewer than 10 cases of cyclosporiasis amid a nationwide outbreak of the intestinal illness, according to the Grundy County Health Department.

Administrator Elizabeth Gibson said the department does not release an exact number when there are only a few local cases because doing so in a small community could create privacy concerns. The department’s investigations into the Grundy County cases have been completed.

While the local investigations have concluded, a large multi-state outbreak remains under investigation.

As of Aug. 5, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 6,358 illnesses in 15 states, including Missouri, associated with an outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms in Mexico. At least 278 people had been hospitalized and two deaths had been reported.

Taylor Farms de Mexico recalled iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico July 17. The CDC said the recalled products’ best-by dates have passed and they should no longer be available in stores or restaurants, although consumers who still have recalled lettuce at home should throw it away or return it.

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that causes cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness most commonly associated with watery diarrhea. People become infected by consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite. Symptoms normally begin about a week after infection but can appear anywhere from two days to two weeks or longer.

Unlike many communicable illnesses, Cyclospora is unlikely to spread directly from one person to another. The parasite generally must spend at least one to two weeks in the environment after leaving the body before becoming infectious. U.S. outbreaks have frequently been associated with fresh produce.

For local public health workers, a positive test begins an investigation into where the infection may have originated.

Gibson said that the health department works to interview patients and work backward through the illness’s incubation period, asking where they traveled and what foods they consumed.

The goal is to find common exposures among patients that can lead investigators to a contaminated product or other source.

“We investigate them because we want to make sure that we identify the source,” Gibson said. “What’s making people sick?”

The work can also extend to checking retailers and restaurants after food recalls to ensure affected products have been removed.

Gibson encouraged residents to continue following basic food-safety practices, including washing fresh produce, properly cooking foods when appropriate and washing hands.

“Generally your food is safe in the United States,” Gibson said. “We have lots of ways of keeping it safe, and it’s well tracked.”

Cyclosporiasis can last from several days to more than a month without treatment, and symptoms can disappear and later return. People with weakened immune systems may be at greater risk of prolonged or severe illness.

Anyone experiencing persistent symptoms should contact a health care provider. The CDC notes that Cyclospora may require a specific stool test because routine testing does not always screen for the parasite.