Case of cyclosporiasis confirmed in Hawaii visitor

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The Hawaii Department of Health has confirmed the first case of a cyclosporiasis infection in the state so far this year.

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Health officials say the person who was confirmed to have the parasitic infection was visiting Hawaii and developed symptoms upon arrival.

Recently, cyclosporiasis, which is known to cause explosive diarrhea, has grown into an outbreak on the U.S. mainland, with more than 30 states reporting cases.

This case will not be counted in Hawaii’s total cases because the person is not a resident here and is believed to have been infected before arriving.

“In general, the risk for anyone who’s traveled back from the United States is still low,” said Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Nathan Tan. “However, if you’ve traveled back from a place where there have been increased numbers of cyclosporiasis cases, it would be good to keep an extra vigilance to symptoms of cyclosporiasis. So that would include diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, low-grade fever, even vomiting.”

The state DOH also recommends thoroughly washing produce before consuming it because Michigan health officials believe the outbreak could possibly be related to lettuce.

The outbreak began in Michigan, but has since been reported in at least 34 states.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control, there have been 1,645 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis since May.

The CDC says it is aware of more than 5,100 cases other potential cases that are not yet confirmed.

Federal health officials are still investigating the outbreak and have not yet confirmed a cause or source of the parasite.

In general, state health officials say the threat level remains low for Hawaii residents.

“In the last 10 years, we’ve had three cases in residents in Hawaii, and all three of those cases, those individuals traveled outside of the state of Hawaii and there was no evidence that the infection was acquired locally,” Tan said.

DOH did not reveal which island the person visited.

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