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CDC sending disease detectives to Ohio to investigate Cyclospora outbreak
PrevNextThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sending “disease detectives” to Ohio to investigate the Cyclospora outbreak.
By:Courtney Shaw
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CLEVELAND — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is coming to Ohio to investigate the Cyclospora outbreak
The agency’s “disease detectives” will be here for three weeks to assist the Ohio Department of Health, at the state’s request
Members of the CDC will interview people who tested positive for Cyclospora to assess symptoms, locations where they ate, and attempt to trace back to other outbreaks
The Ohio Department of Health released the following statement on the outbreak and the help the CDC will be providing:
“The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) requested federal assistance for the cyclospora investigationControl and Prevention (CDC) reepartments during investigations
We are pleased to be hosting several Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officers who are assisting with investigation efforts. CDC staff will assist with interviews of those who tested positive for Cyclospora and also analyze data to help with outbreak tracing efforts.”
Summit County is currently investigating more than 200 cases. The number of cases has tripled in just one week
Summit County investigates 235 cyclospora cases as outbreak grows
Medical Director Dr. Erika Sobolewski said investigators are still working to determine the full scope of the outbreak, but one food has consistently stood out
“Certainly lettuce. Lettuce has been the issue,” Sobolewski said
Even as contaminated products are removed from store shelves, Sobolewski said new cases are still expected
“There is an obvious outbreak going on, and until we know that all theo weeks because people have eaten those foods already before they were pulled off the shelves,” she said
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting more than 11,000 cases across 41 states
RELATED:FDA identifies second cyclospora outbreak as US case count reaches record high
The initial outbreak has been linked to iceberg lettuce, believed to have come from a farm in central Mexico. Now, the Food and Drug Administration has initiated a trace-back effort to identify theusea, vomiting, and diarrhea
At least 72 cases have been tied to the new, unidentified Kennedy Jr. declared the Cyclospora outbreak was “under control.”
Annual peak infections from the Cyclospora parasite traditionally continue through August
