Jefferson, Madison and Fayette counties lead Kentucky for cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness sweeping the U.S. that can cause diarrhea and nausea.
In an email to WEKU, the Kentucky Department for Public Health said it had recorded 108 confirmed cases of the illness and 192 reported, with seven people hospitalized as of July 15. Normally, Kentucky sees around 35 cases of the illness each year.
As of Wednesday evening, Jefferson County has 30 confirmed cases, the most statewide. Madison County has 10 cases and Fayette has nine.
Jefferson and Fayette counties have the highest populations in the state and are home to the largest cities. Madison County is among the fastest growing in Kentucky, with Richmond being the state’s fastest growing city.
Federal officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration are still working to find the outbreak’s origin, but the illness is known to be spread through contaminated produce. Kentucky is part of a multistate outbreak that also includes Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
The CDC recommends washing your hands with soap and water before and after handling raw produce, washing fruits and vegetables under running water, scrubbing firm fruits like melons and cucumbers with a produce brush, cutting away damaged or bruised areas on produce and refrigerating cut, peeled or cooked produce as soon as possible.
KDPH released a list of confirmed cases as of Wednesday:
- Adair – 1
- Bourbon – 1
- Boyle – 2
- Bullitt - 2
- Caldwell – 1
- Campbell – 1
- Daviess – 5
- Fayette – 9
- Fleming – 1
- Green – 1
- Hancock –1
- Hardin – 1
- Henry – 3
- Hopkins – 1
- Jackson - 1
- Jefferson – 30
- Jessamine – 1
- Kenton – 2
- Knox – 1
- Laurel – 3
- Letcher – 4
- Lewis - 1
- Lincoln – 1
- Madison – 10
- Mason – 2
- McCracken – 1
- McLean – 1
- Mercer – 1
- Montgomery – 2
- Morgan – 1
- Nelson – 3
- Oldham – 1
- Pulaski – 2
- Rockcastle – 1
- Scott – 4
- Shelby - 2
