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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Lucy Campbell and agency

What is cyclosporiasis, the parasitic illness causing ‘explosive’ diarrhea?

A microscope image shows a round pinkish-purple Cyclospora cayetanensis cell surrounded by blue-green cells
Cyclospora cayetanensis, the parasite that causes the illness. Ohio and Michigan have reported sharp increases in cases. Photograph: CDC

Cases of cyclosporiasis – a parasitic illness that can cause “explosive”, watery diarrhea – have surged across the United States in recent days, health officials have said, with an abnormally large outbreak of almost 1,000 cases reported in Michigan.

Michigan typically reports about 50 cases a year, making the current outbreak the largest in the state’s history and one of the nation’s biggest in recent years. Ohio has also reported a sharp increase, with 177 cases as of 2 July, since the CDC’s last count.

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