The number of people in Allegheny County dealing with the parasite that has become infamous for causing extreme intestinal illness has grown.
Allegheny County Health officials say there are a total of 35 cyclosporiasis cases reported with two hospitalizations.
That’s an increase of nine cases over the weekend.
Last week, Pennsylvania was officially added to a list of nine states experiencing an outbreak, according to the CDC.
“Although cases in Pennsylvania have been linked to the national multi-state outbreak, the Allegheny County Health Department is waiting on information from the federal and state government regarding whether any cases in Allegheny County are among those linked,” Public Health Information Officer Ronnie Das tells KDKA Radio.
The Health Department says common cyclosporiasis symptoms include:
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramping and bloating
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
The symptoms, including “explosive diarrhea” being around a week after exposure and can last between a couple of days and a couple of weeks.
Nearly 2,000 cases have been reported across the nine states, with 98 people hospitalized.
The CDC says Taylor Farms has recalled all iceberg lettuce coming from central Mexico and that other outbreaks of cyclosporiasis are being investigated, unrelated Taylor Farms outbreak.
The original outbreak is being tied to lettuce that was possibly served at Taco Bell locations in the United States.
Get information from the CDC here.
Two have been hospitalized
Two have been hospitalized
