Gut-wrecking stomach bug cases confirmed "throughout" Colorado
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Colorado public health officials have recorded 90 local cases of a parasite so far this year, though where specifically remains unclear.
The big picture: The gastrointestinal illness — called cyclosporiasis — is caused by a microscopic parasite spreading through contaminated food
- Health officials do not consider cyclosporiasis to be life-threatening, though U.S. officials are investigating what's driving the surge in cases nationwide.
Threat level: Colorado has not identified any outbreaks or clusters of cyclospora associated with exposures in state, public health and environment spokesperson Hope Shuler said in a statement.
- 90 cases were reported in Colorado between Jan. 1 and June 30, though cases are not clustered to any specific region, preliminary data shows.
- Cases tend to increase between May and August, Shuler added.
- Last year, there were 204 cases reported in the state, per the reportable disease dashboard.
Yes, but: It's unclear how many counties are currently impacted. The state public health department declined to provide Axios with that data.
- Shuler said data is preliminary until next spring, at which point the state releases a breakdown by county.
- Cases are currently found "throughout Colorado, with more cases in more populous counties," Shuler added.
What they're saying: "We are seeing a seasonal summer increase in cases, per usual," she said, adding the majority of which are tied to international travel.
How it works: The infection typically spreads during the summer months, but some states are seeing a surge in cases beyond the usual reported incidents, raising questions about what's causing the outbreak.
- Symptoms, which include "explosive" or "watery" diarrhea, can last for a few days to more than a month without treatment, the CDC says.
What to watch The CDC's nationwide case totals are current through mid-June — 145 cases across 17 states between May 1 and June 16 — but states are already reporting much higher figures of their own.