Two People Have Died in the Cyclospora Outbreak

Two people in Michigan have died from cyclosporiasis, state health officials announced on Aug. 3. They are the first reported deaths from a record Cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands of people across the U.S. “The reported deaths are a sobering reminder that cyclosporiasis is usually not life-threatening, but it can become very serious in vulnerable individuals,” says Rodney E. Rohde, chair of the Medical Laboratory Science Program at Texas State University. The two people who died had “significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration,” according to an update on the Michigan health department’s website. The health department said it wouldn’t provide additional information on the two cases. Michigan, which has been particularly hard-hit by the pathogen, is at the center of a multi-state spate of cases linked to shredded iceberg lettuce. More than 11,200 cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported in the state since June 22, and more than 190 people have been hospitalized, according to Michigan officials. Cyclospora is a parasite that spreads through human feces, typically via contaminated food and water. It can cause f...