Keene hospital cyclosporiasis count rises to 34

State health officials have said the lettuce in question was served before it was recalled.

Cheshire Medical Center has now identified 34 patients with cyclosporiasis, according to a Monday update from Dartmouth Health. Of those, 28 are connected to lettuce served in the hospital cafeteria between the beginning of June and July 20, and 21 of the cafeteria-linked patients are employees.

That is an increase from the figures reported last week, when the hospital system said 30 patients had been diagnosed and 24 of them were tied to the cafeteria lettuce. At that time, 18 of the linked cases involved staff members.

State health officials have said the lettuce in question was served before it was recalled and is no longer being offered at the Keene facility.

Cyclosporiasis is caused by a parasite that can contaminate food or water and is not passed directly from one person to another. The illness often brings prolonged watery diarrhea and tends to appear more frequently in the summer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nationally, the outbreak has been associated in part with iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms. Health officials in Michigan also reported the country’s first recorded deaths from the disease this summer, saying both patients had serious preexisting medical problems.

The latest hospital numbers do not necessarily mean 34 newly infected people. Lab confirmation can take time, and public health agencies often update totals after symptoms begin.

New Hampshire usually sees only two to nine cyclospora infections in a year, according to a state health department spokesperson. State case totals are issued on Tuesdays.