The Explosive Diarrhea Outbreak Is About to Get Much Bigger
The US’s explosive diarrhea problem is worse than you think—and it's about to get even messier.
The country is grappling with a large and fast-spreading outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection that causes extreme gastrointestinal distress. There are nearly 7,000 potential cases, more than 3,300 of which are in Michigan alone as of Tuesday, and state officials have identified tainted lettuce as the likely culprit.
The actual case count is almost certainly higher, though, because most people don’t seek medical care when they get diarrhea. And even when they do, labs don’t routinely test for cyclosporiasis, says Jeanne Marrazzo, CEO of Infectious Diseases Society of America. She estimates cases are at least double the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s numbers.
“That’s because of underdiagnosis and also because there are cases that are likely to be mild. Many people aren't going to declare themselves and get counted,” she says....
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