Utah-based lab helps track cyclospora outbreak as cases rise nationwide

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah-based laboratory is helping health officials and medical providers across the country respond to a growing cyclospora outbreak linked to lettuce, as infections continue to climb in Utah and nationwide.

Since May 1, 48 Utahns have been diagnosed with cyclosporiasis, the illness caused by the cyclospora parasite, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. State officials said most of those infected reported recent international travel.

The outbreak linked to lettuce has expanded to six additional states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two deaths in Michigan have also been associated with the illness, though those patients reportedly had significant underlying health issues.

As demand for testing increases, Salt Lake City-based ARUP Laboratories is processing thousands of samples from all 50 U.S. states.

"When you have an outbreak of something, all of a sudden you have this huge demand for testing," said Dr. Ben Bradley, a physician with ARUP. "Before this outbreak, we were doing maybe 150 microscope tests for cyclospora per month. In this last month, we've gone up to over, I believe, 3,000 tests."

Bradley said ARUP developed an artificial intelligence-based screening tool several years ago to help identify parasites in stool samples more efficiently.

"It's really been a powerful tool because we've seen our sensitivity for detecting this improve," he said.

Bradley said not all hospitals have the capability to perform specialized testing for cyclospora, making reference laboratories like ARUP an important resource during outbreaks. He said quick turnaround times can help public health officials limit the spread of infection.

"We want to make sure that these individuals who may be infected with cyclospora, that they're not food handlers, that they're not working in a cafeteria where they could potentially be spreading this to people," he said.

ARUP recently added cyclospora testing data to a public dashboard designed to help researchers, clinicians and public health agencies monitor trends.

"We're not trying to be the only source for this data, but we're trying to provide a larger ecosystem where public health researchers, clinicians and laboratories can go to find this data about what's going on in the community," Bradley said.

Its goal is to get patients answers sooner, and help clinicians be better prepared.

"If there's a clinician who says, 'Gosh, this is the third cyclospora case I've seen this week, that's odd. I maybe see one a year,' they can go on our site, look at our positivity rate, our volume and say 'No, we are seeing a lot of cases nationally. So maybe what I'm seeing is real, and maybe I need to talk to my colleagues or talk more with my public health groups to see what's going on,'" Bradley said.

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