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(NEXSTAR) – Two Michigan residents appear to be the first fatalities in connection with the ongoing cyclospora outbreak, which been described as the largest such outbreak in the U.S.
Michigan health officials reported the deaths on Monday, noting that “both individuals had significant underlying health conditions” and became ill before the voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce.
“Cyclosporiasis is generally not a life-threatening illness. Death resulting from cyclosporiasis is uncommon in the United States,” state health officials said.
While cyclosporiasis has caught widespread attention because of its potentially most unpleasant symptom of “explosive” diarrhea, it can cause a variety of other gastrointestinal symptoms. In other patients, there may be no symptoms at all, a factor that federal health officials say may lead to the true number of cases being underreported.
“Cyclospora cayetanensis infections have a wide spectrum of presentations going from asymptomatic, to acute, to prolonged recurrent illness,” Dr. Miguel Cabada, Associate Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas Medical Branch, told Nexstar via email.
Fatigue, weight loss, and watery diarrhea are the main symptoms reported among those who are symptomatic, but they tend to be mild, Cabada added.
In more serious cases, an infected person can experience “over 15 bowel movements a day.” Young children, pregnant women, and elderly people may be more severely impacted by the parasite.
A California woman who recovered from the illness previously told Nexstar’s KTLA that she had “never felt that sick before.”
“It was coming out of both ends,” the woman, who asked to remain anonymous, explained. “Every time I tried to eat, it was like a stabbing pain in my stomach, and I couldn’t keep anything down.”
If a person has underlying medical conditions impacting their immune system, Cabada said they are at a greater risk “of severe diarrhea and the accompanying dehydration and weight loss.”
The California woman told KTLA she lost nearly 10 pounds within a week before seeking medical attention.
“Frail patients with significant comorbidities may succumb to dehydration and weight loss associated with cyclosporiasis, which may lead to different metabolic derangements and organ failures,” Cabada said.
Additional details about the Michigan residents who died after becoming ill are not expected to be released.
If you are experiencing symptoms, especially diarrhea that lasts more than a week or two, health care experts encourage you to seek medical care. A stool test is necessary to determine whether you have cyclosporiasis.
Left untreated, cyclosporiasis can stick around for a month or longer. Treatment can include antibiotics, antidiarrheal medications, and hydration, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“For someone who comes into an urgent care and cyclosporiasis is their only issue, it’s relatively easy to treat,” Dr. Joel Kammeyer, the division chief of infectious diseases at Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center, told The Associated Press. But for people who are struggling with other illnesses, he said, “it stands to reason that there are some patients that might not be able to withstand the dehydration that can come with severe cyclosporiasis.”
To protect yourself, health experts recommend washing produce thoroughly before eating, cutting, or cooking.
If you’re going to refrigerate cut, peeled, or cooked produce, do so as soon as possible. Experts also recommend cutting away any damaged or bruised areas of fruits and vegetables before using them.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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