A cyclosporiasis outbreak has been declared in Pennsylvania and eight other states as cases of the parasite continue to rapidly grow, the CDC announced Friday.
The total number of cases in Pennsylvania is unclear, but is at least in the hundreds. The CDC says there are between 30 and 80 cases in the state, though they admit their numbers lag behind state and county health departments.
Erie County alone has reported 75 cases, GoErie reports, while dozens more have been reported in Allegheny County and in the greater Philadelphia area, according to the Department of Health.
Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kansas, and Oklahoma were added to the "outbreak" classification on Friday. That list already included Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Indiana, states which have been the focal point of cases thus far.
The CDC's official count of sickened individuals is 4,100, and more than 7,500 additional cases are under review, putting a conservative estimate at around 12,000.
"The true number of sick people in this multistate outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses," the CDC shared Friday. "This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for cyclospora. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported because it can take as long as 6 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of a cyclospora outbreak."
Diarrhea from the parasite can be explosive and long-lasting. Hundreds have been hospitalized.
The recall on iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms in Mexico remains in place, despite a false positive on a test earlier this week. Traceback data from cases connects this outbreak to that source, the CDC said.
The CDC is also investigating other potential outbreaks of cyclosporiasis around the country separate from this nine-state outbreak.
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