Broward Jumps in Florida Cyclosporiasis Cases. What about Miami-Dade?
Over 330 cases of cyclosporiasis have been confirmed in Florida since May 1, according to the Florida Department of Health’s Reportable Diseases Frequency Report, with Miami-Dade County reporting the highest number of cases.
Florida has 333 confirmed cases of the illness — characterized by severe gastrointestinal symptoms — according to data from the FDOH, which spans the time period from May 1 to Aug. 1.
When including probable cases, which are those likely to be cyclosporiasis but that have not yet been laboratory confirmed, Florida reports 342 instances of the illness. Miami-Dade County had 45 confirmed cases, the most of any county in the state, up from 39 in the prior reporting period, which spanned May 1 to July 25.
Broward County, now second only to Miami-Dade in number of cases, reported 34 confirmed instances, up from 22. That’s the second-largest increase in Florida for this reporting period, behind Miami-Dade.
Since May 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had received reports of 10,468 laboratory-confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis in an update on Aug. 4.
Cyclospora was one of several parasites removed from a mandatory reporting list last summer under the Trump administration.
Symptoms of Cyclosporiasis
Cyclosporiasis, caused by the microscopic Cyclospora parasite, can be contracted by ingesting contaminated food or water. It is not usually spread from person to person, according to the CDC.
Symptoms, the most common of which include frequent watery diarrhea, weight loss, appetite loss, nausea, fatigue and bloating, usually begin around one week after someone is exposed, though onset can occur two to 14 days after exposure, according to the CDC. Less common symptoms include low-grade fevers and vomiting.
If untreated, symptoms of the disease can follow a remitting-relapsing course, lasting from a few days to a month or longer. Though illness can be severe, it’s not usually life-threatening, the CDC says.
Confirmed Cyclosporiasis Cases by Florida County
- Alachua: 4
- Baker: 1
- Bay: 16
- Brevard: 6
- Broward: 34
- Charlotte: 1
- Collier: 7
- Columbia: 1
- Duval: 7
- Escambia: 2
- Flagler: 3
- Gadsden: 1
- Hernando: 1
- Highlands: 2
- Hillsborough: 10
- Indian River: 1
- Jackson: 2
- Lake: 6
- Lee: 30
- Leon: 5
- Manatee: 8
- Marion: 5
- Martin: 2
- Miami-Dade: 45
- Monroe: 1
- Nassau: 1
- Okaloosa: 7
- Orange: 25
- Osceola: 7
- Palm Beach: 16
- Pasco: 5
- Pinellas: 16
- Polk: 10
- Santa Rosa: 5
- Sarasota: 4
- Seminole: 9
- St. Johns: 7
- St. Lucie: 3
- Sumter: 2
- Volusia: 11
- Wakulla: 1
- Walton: 3
Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
Reporting by Sarah Perkel, USA TODAY Network / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
