Cyclosporiasis

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has reported more than 2,000 cases so far of the parasite-borne illness that causes explosive diarrhea as of Sunday.

According to the most recent communicable disease report from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, there have been at least 2,152 cases of the parasite in the state.

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.