Disease outbreak spreads to area

PORT CLINTON — A national outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a food-borne disease that can cause diarrhea and fatigue, includes cases near Sandusky. As: • Of late Tuesday, no cases have been reported in Erie County but Ottawa County has 12 cases and Huron County has reported one. Sandusky County announced six cases as of Tuesday. In a Thursday update, Ottawa County reported the 12 cases, with 11 on the western end of the county. • It's possible the outbreak came from contaminated produce. Anybody handling veggies or fruit should be diligent about washing the items and washing their hands before and after handling them, said Jerry Bingham, director of Ottawa County's health department Similarly, Huron County's health department advises to "wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting or cooking." Firm fruits or veggies should be scrubbed with a firm produce brush, and damaged or bruised areas should be cut away. Cases seen across nation On its website, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 145 cases of cyclosporiasis in 17 states with 20 hospitalizations and no deaths. Those numbers don't reflect more recent numbers from Ohio and elsewhere. "These people became sick after eating food in the U.S. and did not report any travel during the 14 days before they got sick," the CDC website says. The CDC numbers are a big undercount. The 17 states mentioned by the CDC do not include Michigan. But Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services said in a July 4 press release that it has 572 cases so far. The CDC indicates the disease comes from contaminated food or water. "Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, also known as Cyclospora. People can become infected by consuming food or water that contains the parasite. Cyclosporiasis is not usually life-threatening," the CDC says. Local situation Ohio's latest update, provided by the state health department, shows 191 cases statewide in June with 29 cases in Lucas County and 2 in Sandusky County. Huron County reported one case in a July 2 press release. Sandusky County announced six cases on Tuesday. Taylor Kula, epidemiology director for the Erie County Health Department, said Wednesday there are no cases in Erie County so far. Ottawa County as of Thursday morning had 12 cases, Bingham said. While they have reported the typical symptoms of diarrhea and fatigue, no hospitalizations have been reported, he said. Bingham said he suspects the new outbreak will be traced to some kind of produce and food distribution. "We just don't know what that is yet," he said. Indeed, the CDC website tracking the outbreak doesn't list a cause. "There is currently no evidence of a single, multistate (outbreak) linking all cases," it says. Huron County's health department says not everyone who has cyclosporiasis will report symptoms, but the most common symptoms for people who feel sick are watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating, gas, nausea and fatigue.