According to the Missouri Health Department, this year there have been 43 confirmed or probable cases of cyclospora, the parasite that can cause explosive diarrhea. A spokesperson for the department says they update their numbers every Sunday.
However, the Health Department says they cannot confirm if any of those cases are related to the outbreak that has caused thousands of cases across 34 states. The spokesperson says they are continuing to investigate the food and travel history of the infected individuals.
Meanwhile, on the local level, St. Louis County Health Director Dr. Kanika Cunningham says she is unaware of any infections in the region, but was critical of the slow trickle of information coming from the federal government.
"There is significant delays, even on a national level, getting information down to local health agencies."
Dr. Cunningham points to cuts at the CDC to "we are directly impacted by the national cuts [at the CDC], therefore it is delaying information getting to us."
Last year, the CDC reduced its surveillance for cyclospora among other pathogens.
Dr. Cunningham says local health officials are doing the best they can to share information with the public, but adds "we can't act like these federal cuts don't impact us locally."
