The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department says cases of cyclosporiasis have been confirmed in Lucas County, and the number of residents with the illness has risen since June 1. Health officials are now working to identify a possible common exposure as they try to slow the outbreak.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which can spread when people eat food or drink water contaminated by feces carrying the parasite. A public health spike like this draws immediate attention because, in the United States, cases are often tied to fresh produce, especially in the summer.
Karim Baroudi said the department’s environmental health and epidemiology teams are working around the clock to find the source, limit the spread and protect the community. He also thanked healthcare providers, food establishments and community partners for helping safeguard Toledo and Lucas County.
The exact exposure has not been identified, which leaves investigators with the hardest part of the job still ahead. Without a common source, officials can warn people about symptoms, but they cannot yet point to the item or place that may have made residents sick.
Those symptoms usually appear within two to 14 days after exposure and can last from a few days to a month or longer if the illness is not treated. They can also return after initial improvement, which means the increase in Lucas County cases could keep health workers busy even as they search for the source.
