Two people have died amid US cyclosporiasis outbreak, Michigan officials say

Two people in Michigan who contracted cyclosporiasis have died, the state’s Department of Health and Human Services said Monday. The department noted both people had “significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration,” citing medical records. Michigan officials as of Monday have reported 11,234 cases of cyclosporiasis, which causes watery...

Two people in Michigan have died in connection with the multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak, Michigan health officials said Monday, marking the first known deaths linked to the foodborne illness.Why it matters: Weeks into the national crisis that's sickened thousands of people, federal authorities still don't know for certain where it's coming from or why. Driving the news: Medical records show that the individuals who died "had significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration," Michigan's Health and Human Services Department said Monday.Generally, health experts don't consider cyclosporiasis to be life-threatening.Go deeper: How Cyclospora cases compare to the biggest U.S. foodborne outbreaksEditor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Two people have died from cyclosporiasis in Michigan, marking the first fatalities in the largest U.S. outbreak of the intestinal illness. Two people have died in the statewide cyclosporiasis outbreak, health officials said Monday.

US sees first fatalities due to intestinal illness, though both had significant ​underlying health conditionsTwo people have died from cyclosporiasis in Michigan, the state’s health department said on Monday, marking the first fatalities in the largest US outbreak ⁠of the intestinal illness.Both ⁠individuals had significant ​underlying health conditions that may have been affected by cyclosporiasis and dehydration, according to medical records. Two people have died in the cyclospora outbreak in Michigan, state health officials announced Monday, the first deaths confirmed in the U.S. related to the microscopic parasite.The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said both people had underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by the intestinal illness and dehydration.

The department said it would not provide additional information about the deaths.Cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreaks tend to occur most often in the late spring and summer.The CDC says the illness, called cyclosporiasis, is rarely deadly.The heat-loving parasite infects the bowels and spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to feces-contaminated irrigation water.Cyclosporiasis is less common than other foodborne illnesses, including salmonella and E.

Many cases are never linked to a specific food or other source and, for years, few U.S. cyclospora outbreaks were reported. But the number started rising about a decade ago, with a particularly notable spike in 2018 and 2019.Previously, 2019 saw the most reported U.S.