Miami-Dade County has experienced a significant increase in cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasite that causes extreme diarrhea. According to the Florida Department of Health, cases in Miami-Dade have nearly tripled in just a week, with the county reporting six cases until July 4 and now having a total of 17 cases as of July 11.

State and National Trends

Across the state of Florida, the number of cases has nearly doubled, going from 50 between May 1 and July 4 to 96 a week later. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received reports of 1,645 confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis and is aware of more than 5,100 cases that require further analysis to confirm the illness as domestically acquired cyclosporiasis.

The CDC suggests that people can protect themselves from possible contamination by following proper food and water safety guidelines. The exact source of the parasite has not been identified, but health officials in Michigan have suggested that lettuce or salad greens may be a possible source based on over 1,000 interviews with people who have tested positive.

Original reporting: NBC6 Miami — read the source article.