CHARLOTTE — Health officials in Mecklenburg County are warning residents after a rise in cases of an intestinal parasite that causes diarrhea and fatigue.
There have been more than 200 cases of cyclosporiasis in North Carolina since May 1st. 18 of them are in Mecklenrbug County.
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Symptoms include severe abdominal cramping, nausea, and a low-grade fever.
“Here in Mecklenburg County we’ve seen about 18 cases,” Mecklenburg County Interim Health Director Kimberly Scott said. “It’s caused by a very small parasite that is largely infecting people through contaminated food or water sources, often fresh produce.”
The symptoms can last up to two weeks.
“Explosive diarrhea has been used to label this particular illness,” Dr. Scott said. “It can range from two days to two weeks.”
Resident Mike McKenna hopes it doesn’t hitch a ride onto his groceries.
“I come here almost every day and buy fresh vegetables, so I’m kind of holding off a little bit.” McKenna said.
He says he’s heard about the illness from family members.
“My nephew was out in Michigan, and he got hit bad with it,” he said. “He didn’t go into detail with me, but it sounded real bad, and he could barely function; I mean, he was just laid out.”
The cause of the local and national spike in cases isn’t yet known.
The FDA is investigating.
“It can be difficult to track down food sources in cases such as this, so we’re working very closely with our state officials as well as CDC officials,” Dr. Scott said.