More than 45 cases of the food-borne illness cyclosporiasis have been reported in Texas this year, concerning state health officials, according to reports.
The way people acquire the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis is by consuming contaminated water, fresh fruits and vegetables. The illness can cause symptoms such as lingering diarrhea, fatigue and nausea, similar to what you would feel while experiencing indigestion.
"We see these things all the time, because there's all kinds of viruses, and just plain old bacteria can cause diarrhea as well," Dr. Blaine Bachim at Texas Health Southwest told NBC 5 News.
However, tests administered to confirm the parasitic infection do not always detect the illness. Physicians suggest those who have symptoms for five or more days so seek a medical consultation.
"What a lot of us have decided to do so far is just kind of basically treat this clinically, so if you have a lot of fatigue, a lot of the other symptoms, a lot of us will still test to go ahead and treat as well," Bachim said.
The infection is treated with sulfa antibiotics such as Bactrim, but there is no safe treatment options for those who suffer from sulfa allergies.
"It's a Catch-22 for sure," Dr. Shawn Mitchell, medical director of Premier Urgent Care in Colleyville told NBC 5 News. "It's effective -- it's the only effective antibiotic that we know of right now for cyclosporiasis. The hitch with it is, many people are allergic to it."
If you do not seek treatment, the symptoms may stay in your system for weeks.
Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services agency officials are working to locate the source of the infections. Epidemiologists, scientists who study patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions, are also working to find the source.
Local health agencies are also cooperating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is monitoring the possible outbreak.
