Cyclospora parasite drives US-wide diarrheal outbreak, CDC reports

The CDC is investigating a summer surge of cyclosporiasis caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis, with about 145 people infected across multiple states. The main symptom is watery diarrhea, accompanied by loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating, nausea and fatigue. Infections are typically linked to contaminated food or water; there is no evidence of person-to-person spread, and most patients had not recently traveled outside the U.S. States including New York, Illinois and Texas report cases, and health authorities are continuing investigations as the cyclosporiasis season (roughly May-August) continues. No deaths have been reported.