Various parts of the United States have experienced outbreaks caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites in recent months. Some of these events have approached epidemic levels, while others have been relatively small in scale. Five such outbreaks are detailed below.
Cyclosporiasis
More than 1,000 Americans have contracted the intestinal infection cyclosporiasis this year, according to a Sept. 22 CDC update.
Cyclosporiasis is caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. The illness is characterized by prolonged or remitting-relapsing diarrhea. Additional symptoms may include anorexia, fatigue, weight loss, abdominal cramps, bloating, increased gas, nausea, vomiting and low-grade fever.
The CDC has tallied 1,031 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis across 40 states in 2017.
Hepatitis A
Health officials on Sept. 26 confirmed the seventeenth death related to San Diego County's ongoing hepatitis A outbreak.
The County of San Diego's Health and Human Services Agency reported 461 cases associated with the outbreak, marking a 40-case increase since Sept 12. The outbreak has caused 315 hospitalizations.
The majority of individuals sickened in the outbreak, which has been under investigation since March, have either been homeless, illicit drug users or both. County health officials declared the outbreak a public health emergency Sept. 1.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also declared an outbreak of hepatitis A Sept. 19 after discovering 10 recently confirmed infections were likely contracted locally.
Officials identified the infections in individuals who were either homeless or living in institutions that serve the homeless. Four of the infected individuals recently visited San Diego County, potentially linking the two outbreaks.
E. coli
State and county health officials are investigating an E. coli outbreak in La Crosse County, Wis., that has sickened eight people and caused six pediatric hospitalizations.
The bacterial strain responsible for the outbreak is a "particularly nasty form, which produces a toxin that can be harmful to the body organs such as the kidneys," the La Crosse County Health Department said on Sept. 20. The six children hospitalized in the outbreak developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause kidney failure.
E. coli is transmitted through contact with fecal matter, which can contaminate food and water, from an infected person or animal.
Campylobacteriosis
The CDC is investigating a multistate outbreak of Campylobacter infections linked to pet store puppies, according to an agency outbreak advisory issued Sept. 11.
Health officials identified 39 cases of Campylobacteriosis illness associated with exposure to puppies at Petland pet stores across seven states from Sept. 15, 2016 to Sept. 1, 2017. The seven states with confirmed cases are Florida (11), Kansas (5), Missouri (1), Ohio (18), Pennsylvania (2), Tennessee (1) and Wisconsin (1).
Twelve cases occurred among Petland employees and 27 involved individuals who either recently purchased a puppy from Petland, visited a Petland store or went to a home containing a recently purchased Petland puppy. Nine of the infected individuals were hospitalized, although no deaths occurred.
The bacteria can be contracted through contact with contaminated feces and is not usually spread via person-to-person contact. Most sickened individuals experience diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever within two to five days after bacterial exposure. The diarrhea may be bloody. The illness typically lasts about a week.
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