Cyclosporiasis

The numbers released Sunday by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services are a 24% increase from the previous week.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services released new numbers showing 1,577 people in the state have tested positive for the parasite.

Missouri health officials say the CDC has added the state to a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to lettuce grown in central Mexico, though the agency has not publicly announced the change.

Boone County is reporting 81 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services Department.

Food safety experts say contaminated water in farm fields is a likely culprit. But questions still remain about the current outbreak.

In Missouri, nearly 600 people have fallen ill after fresh produce products identified as potential sources in the outbreak reached grocery store shelves across the state.

Despite Missouri's rising case count, the state has not been included in the CDC's multistate outbreak investigation.

Boone County had confirmed 37 cases as of Monday morning.

As cases of cyclosporiasis continue to be reported in Boone County, nursing homes are taking extra precautions to help protect older adults, who can face more serious complications from foodborne illnesses.

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