Conn., N.J. Residents Among Those Sickened By Stomach Bug

WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) — At least two people in the Tri-State Area have become sickened due to an unidentified stomach bug that’s now been detected in seven states.

Federal health authorities say more than 275 people in those states, including Connecticut and New Jersey, have come down with the illness.

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating the cyclospora infections, which are often found in tropical or subtropical countries and have been linked to imported fresh produce in the past. It causes diarrhea and other flu-like symptoms.

“Right now, no particular food item has been implicated. But public health officials in all the affected states as well as with the CDC are looking at all the different leads right now,” New Jersey state epidemiologist Dr. Tina Tan told WCBS 880′s Levon Putney on Thursday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the infection has also been reported in Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, Wisconsin and Georgia. Most of the illnesses occurred from mid-June to early July. The CDC said it isn’t clear whether the cases are all linked.

“The cyclospora parasite is not spread person to person but it is rather spread when people swallow food or water that’s contaminated with stool that is infected with the parasite, or water or food that’s been contaminated with the parasite itself,” Dr. Tan said.

New Jersey usually sees about eight cases of the infection annually, Tan said.

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