Sibylla Bostoniensis

Canonical link: https://siderea.dreamwidth.org/1901288.html

Heads up, Americans! Ever wonder why human feces are not used as fertilizer in agriculture? You're about to find out!

The Situation: a Nationwide Outbreak of Cyclosporiasis

The US is having a exploding epidemic of cyclosporiasis.

A typical outbreak of cyclosporiasis in the US is usually numbered in the dozens of vicitms, and usually in a tight geographical area, or maybe some adjacent states. As of the last 36 hours, there are now more than 1,500 cases in Michigan,nearly 400 cases in New York (mostly NYC), more than 300 cases in Ohio, and cases spread across thirty one states and counting, including Alaska. (Yes, including Massachusetts.) Case counts have been skyrocketing over the last 72 hours, and the CDC's surveillance page is lagging behind the evening news.

Cyclosporiasis is a food-borne illness caused by a parasite. Cyclosporiasis is not usually fatal, but it causes pretty debilitating lower gastrointestinal illness, primarily "explosive diarrhea", which can last for weeks, even months untreated, and for some few unlucky bastards requires hospitalization. Right now 44 people are hospitalized in Michigan, the hardest hit state so far, as well as others in other states.

( All you never wanted to have to know about cyclosporiasis. [3,810 words] )

This post brought to you by the 227 readers who funded my writing it – thank you all so much! You can see who they are at my Patreon page. If you're not one of them, and would be willing to chip in so I can write more things like this, please do so there.

Please leave comments on the Comment Catcher comment, instead of the main body of the post – unless you are commenting to get a copy of the post sent to you in email through the notification system, then go ahead and comment on it directly. Thanks!