There are now 69 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis in New Hampshire so far this year, according to the latest data from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
Thirty-two of those cases are people who reported eating lettuce from locations that served recalled produce. In July, the state health department identified multiple cases following exposure to recalled Taylor Farms products served at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene.
Over the previous five years, the state identified between two and nine cases of cyclosporiasis annually.
Three people in New Hampshire have been hospitalized with the illness, which causes severe gastrointestinal symptoms.
Symptoms can develop within several days of consuming contaminated food or drink, but may not appear for more than two weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Testing for the cyclospora parasite can be challenging and time consuming. The agency estimates a six-week lag between the onset of illness onset and when test results are reported to the CDC, and encourages people to rely on information from their state health department.
As of July 28, the CDC has confirmed more than 6,700 cases nationwide, with 11,500 under investigation.
The Trump administration ended mandatory tracking of cyclospora and five other pathogens at the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, the office within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that monitors foodborne illnesses.
