Michigan reports the first 2 US deaths related to a diarrhoea-causing parasite

Health officials have identified lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell restaurants in 9 states as a source of the cyclospora outbreak

Two people have died in the cyclospora outbreak in Michigan, state health officials announced on Monday, the first deaths confirmed in the US related to the microscopic parasite.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said both people had underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by the intestinal illness and dehydration. The department said it would not provide additional information about the deaths.

Cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhoea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements”, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Outbreaks tend to happen most often in the late spring and summer.

The CDC says the illness, called cyclosporiasis, is rarely deadly.

The heat-loving parasite infects the bowels and spreads through faeces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to faeces-contaminated irrigation water.

Cyclosporiasis is less common than other food-borne illnesses, including salmonella and E coli. Many cases are never linked to a specific food or other source and, for years, few US cyclospora outbreaks were reported. But the number started rising about a decade ago, with a particularly notable spike in 2018 and 2019.