The latest foodborne illness attacking bellies across the nation goes by the name cyclosporiasis (sigh-klo-spor-eye-uh-sis), and its reach is growing by the day.

Since the first known case in Michigan on June 22, the parasitic disease has stricken thousands with watery, sometimes explosive, diarrhea and hospitalized more than 100 people. Cases have now been reported in at least 34 states.

Compared with the usual gastrointestinal suspects – norovirus, salmonella, campylobacter, shigella and E. coli – cyclosporiasis is a much rarer foodborne disease in the United States.

To learn more about the infection and how to best diagnose, treat and avoid it, we reached out to David Relman, MD, professor of medicine and of microbiology and immunology at Stanford Medicine, whose work characterizing the parasitic organism that causes cyclosporiasis helped revolutionize diagnosis of this infection and outbreak tracing.

Continue reading at news.stanford.edu