Illinois Has Become a Hotspot for Diarrhea-Causing Parasite

This is one sickness you don't want any part of. There's a diarrhea-causing parasite that is causing serious illnesses including many hospitalizations and Illinois is one of the states seeing the most cases.

The Centers for Disease Control have issued a bulletin about Cyclosporiasis. There are currently 145 cases being reported that includes 20 hospitalizations and their surveillance map shows Illinois is one of the states seeing the most residents sickened by this nasty bug.

Infographic, CDC

What are the symptoms of Cyclosporiasis-caused sickness?

This infection can cause severe, watery diarrhea, painful stomach cramps, bloating, and extreme fatigue and health authorities warn that it can last weeks or months without proper care. The symptoms sometimes don't appear for up to a week after eating contaminated food.

What's the best way to prevent getting this diarrhea-causing bug?

This is a parasite that's difficult to eliminate with routine sanitizers, but authorities say the best prevention is to make sure you thoroughly wash and scrub produce, use boiled or safely bottled water, and practice strict hand hygiene. The fact that Illinois has become a hotspot for its spread is concerning with gatherings around the July 4th holiday weekend. Diligent hand and produce washing is crucial to slow the spread of one of the summer's worst sicknesses so far.