Michigan’s Cyclospora outbreak broke one-thousand cases Thursday — the largest of its kind in state history.
The latest data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services shows 1,251 reported cases.
That is about 260 more than the previous update.
The parasite can cause severe diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea and fatigue. Symptoms can last more than a month without treatment.
Michigan has been the center of the outbreak since late June, when the first cases were reported in the state.
Cyclospora has spread across the U.S., but Michigan’s case count is nearly double any other state.
Various health departments and organizations have launched investigations into the outbreak, trying to narrow down the source to a specific provider or product.
Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson for the state health department, told WKAR Wednesday that a new webpage has been launched to track statewide case counts.
Sutfin says the site will be updated daily by 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The numbers reflect data reported through 9:30 a.m. of the same day.
“At this time, no specific produce grower, supplier or type of produce has been identified as the source,” Sutfin said.
Investigations are also open on a national level.
The FDA currently has four open investigations into Cyclospora throughout the country, managed by the Coordinated Outbreak Response & Evaluation (CORE) Network.
Here’s what that process looks like:
The source has still not been identified, but the FDA launched two new investigations into the outbreak on Wednesday.
With 25 total cases between the two investigations, the FDA has initiated a traceback process for both.
The sampling process has not started yet, which includes the collection and analysis of food samples for possible pathogens.
So far, health officials have not identified the exact cause of the outbreak. They’re urging people to contact a medical provider about testing if diarrhea lasts more than a few days.