Cyclosporiasis: as “explosive diarrhoea” sweeps US, what’s behind the outbreak and what is Trump’s role?

AI Summary

A significant cyclosporiasis outbreak is affecting the United States, with over 1,600 confirmed cases across 34 states and thousands more suspected. The illness is linked to contaminated food or water and causes gastrointestinal symptoms; experts highlight potential impacts from previous policy decisions.

An unprecedented cyclosporiasis outbreak is sweeping the US.Cases of the disease, which causes explosive diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, nausea, fatigue, low grade fever, anorexia, and weight loss, have so far been reported in 34 states.1As of 14 July, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 1645 laboratory confirmed cases of Cyclospora cayetanensis, the parasite that causes the diarrhoeal illness.2 An additional 5100 cases await confirmation.But Gwen Biggerstaff, deputy director of CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, said at a briefing that the true number of people affected is undoubtedly higher, as many people with mild illness recover without seeking care and are never tested.3Here, The BMJ explores the most severe outbreak of cyclosporiasis the US has ever seen and how Trump era cuts may have contributed to the surge.What is cyclosporiasis?The disease is caught by ingesting water or raw foods contaminated with faeces carrying oocysts of...