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(NEXSTAR) – Cases of cyclosporiasis continue to climb in the U.S. as federal authorities link additional states to the ongoing outbreak.
As of Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say there have been more than 6,700 confirmed cases of domestically acquired cyclosporiasis, the gastrointestinal illness caused by the cyclospora parasite, since May 1.
Over 11,500 cases are still pending confirmation, bringing the nation’s total to a suspected case count of more than 18,000. This is now considered to be the largest known outbreak of cyclosporiasis in the U.S.
There are currently nine states linked to the outbreak apparently caused by iceberg lettuce sourced from Mexico. Recently added to that group are Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, health officials have insisted that the “U.S. food supply is safe.”
Cases of cyclosporiasis are typically reported between May and August each year, but usually, cases total only a handful or a few dozen. Michigan, for example, sees about 50 confirmed cases annually.
As of Wednesday, more than 10,000 cases have been reported in Michigan alone. That’s up nearly 3,000 over the last week. There have been more than 2,600 cases reported in Ohio, which has the second-highest case count in the country.
Other states linked to the outbreak have also seen cases rise. There have been more than 900 cases reported in Indiana, up from just over 500 last week. Kentucky’s case count has jumped by 360 since last week, while Illinois has reported an additional 350 cases, according to an analysis by Nexstar.
A review of CDC and state health data, as well as local reporting, shows that every state has reported at least one case of cyclosporiasis this year. However, not all are linked to ongoing outbreak investigations.
Health officials in Maine and Utah have said that while cases have appeared in their states, they are not linked to the outbreaks. The three cases of cyclosporiasis reported in Hawaii have been linked to travelers.
The CDC has recorded domestically acquired cyclosporiasis cases in all but six states: Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Mexico, South Carolina and Vermont. There could, however, be residents within these states who became ill.
Not everyone who becomes infected experiences symptoms, requires hospitalization or undergoes testing to confirm their diagnosis. Because of this, the true number of cyclosporiasis cases is likely to be underreported.
Forty-two states have reported cases of cyclosporiasis acquired outside the U.S. While domestic cases are typically linked to contaminated produce, patients in these cases reported feeling ill after eating food or drinking water during international travel.
There have been more than 1,000 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis among people who are believed to have acquired the infection while outside the U.S., CDC data show.
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