Boone County is among the first counties to report a parasitic illness that has sickened thousands of people nationwide.
The county has confirmed eight cases of cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness caused by the Cyclospora parasite. Along with that, Missouri has confirmed 43 cases of cyclosporiasis so far.
The parasite is most commonly spread through contaminated fresh produce or water and does not spread from person to person.
Boone County Public Health and Human Services spokesperson Austin Krohn said the actual number of infections could be higher because many people mistake the illness for a stomach bug and do not seek medical care.
"People that get this, they may not think anything of it. They may think they just have a stomach bug and they just work through it and it goes unreported," Krohn said. "There could be more cases in Boone County that we don't know about so far. It's one of those things that could end up being underreported."
Symptoms typically begin about a week after exposure and include prolonged watery diarrhea, nausea, bloating, weight loss and fatigue.
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Communications Director Lisa Cox said in an email that none of the state's cases have been confirmed as part of the nationwide outbreak. However, officials are investigating each patient's food and travel history because the parasite is relatively uncommon in the United States.
Nathan Koffarnus, an epidemiologist with the department, said most people recover on their own, but the illness can last for weeks or even more than a month.
"People who are immunocompromised, very young, older adults or anyone experiencing persistent gastrointestinal symptoms should reach out to their doctor and get evaluated," Koffarnus said.
Local and state health officials are interviewing patients and reviewing their food and travel histories to identify the source of the infections.
