Michigan is getting hit hardest in a fast-spreading nationwide outbreak of a stomach parasite, with cases exploding more than fourfold in a matter of days.
The state saw infections skyrocket from 170 to 681 by Monday, the biggest single jump reported anywhere in the country, according to health officials.
New York has logged 120 cases since May 1, a state official told The Post, while Texas has confirmed 48 cases as of Monday. Illinois has also seen a sharp rise, with reports ranging from 11 to 80 cases through mid-June, according to CDC data.
Michigan health authorities, who are investigating what they call a "large and growing outbreak," now put the state's count at roughly 700 as of Monday - about 13 to 14 times Michigan's typical annual total of 40 to 50 cases. Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state's chief medical executive, said the cases are concentrated in eight southeast Michigan counties: Monroe, Lenawee, Washtenaw, Wayne, Shiawassee, Jackson, Oakland, and Livingston.
Federal officials have urged caution about linking the spikes together. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there is "no evidence of a single, multistate Cyclospora outbreak linking cases" being reported now, and the Food and Drug Administration said it was "not in a position at this time to characterize the current numbers as definitively unusual" while its investigation continues. Nationally, the CDC counted 145 cases across 17 states between May 1 and June 16 - a tally that excludes Michigan's surge - with 20 hospitalizations and no deaths, in patients ranging in age from 5 to 86. Ohio, not among the states the outbreak was first reported in, has separately confirmed at least 177 cases this year.
Many people who catch the parasite - called cyclosporiasis - show no symptoms at all. But for those who do, it's brutal. Those who catch the parasite experience watery, "explosive" diarrhea that can leave victims running to the bathroom dozens of times a day, along with severe cramping, vomiting, nausea, fatigue and fever.
The illness is caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis, a microscopic parasite that spreads through food or water contaminated with feces - most often fresh produce - and is not known to spread from person to person, because the parasite needs one to two weeks outside the body to become infectious. It is treated with the oral antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, sold as Bactrim, typically over a 10-day course; untreated, symptoms can last from a few days to more than a month and may relapse. The CDC advises washing all fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking.
Cristy Cooper spoke to The Post from her hospital bed as she battles the infection.
"This is worse than like any flu I've ever gotten or anything, it's just so... it's miserable. I'm worn out from it. I really am," she said.
Cooper's nightmare started June 25 with what she described as "unbearable" diarrhea.
Within days came crushing gas, exhaustion, vomiting, nausea, painful cramps and a 100.2-degree fever. Doctors are treating her with a sulfa-based antibiotic, and she's now on the road to recovery.