Cyclosporiasis outbreak in Midwestern US nears 700 cases, testing RFK Jr. and CDC

Explosive Diarrhea Outbreak Hits Midwest, Testing RFK Jr. and CDC

An "explosive" diarrhea virus is sweeping through the Midwestern United States, posing a fresh challenge for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the already weakened Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC initially reported 145 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis in the U.S. last month. However, on July 1, Michigan health officials confirmed 100 additional cases in just nine days—a troubling spike.

The infection, caused by "a one-celled parasite too small to be seen with the naked eye," has affected nearly 700 people in Michigan and Illinois. The parasite is found in contaminated water and unwashed leafy produce, and is most active during spring and summer.

Symptoms begin with diarrhea and can progress to include:

• Appetite loss
• Bloating
• Nausea
• Cramping
• Fatigue

Confirmed cases range from ages five to 86, with over 60 percent being women. No deaths have been reported, though 20 people have been hospitalized. While the parasite appears annually, the current case count is abnormal. Last year, Michigan recorded only 50 confirmed cases, according to NBC Chicago.

Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan's chief medical executive, said in a statement: "Outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been occurring across the United States and now here in Michigan. Based on the unusual number of cases we have identified in a little over a week, we anticipate additional cases of illness being reported. We recommend Michiganders contact their health care provider if they experience sudden, ongoing diarrhea and reach out to their local health department if additional members of their family are suffering from the same symptoms."

With temperatures extremely high across much of the U.S. and public trust in the CDC at extremely low levels, the coming weeks will be a significant test of the agency's ability to manage such outbreaks.

Republicans Rally Around McConnell Amid Health Rumors

Republicans are rushing to defend former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as rumors swirl that he may be dead.

Conservative commentator Scott Jennings wrote on X that he spoke with his "old friend" Tuesday morning. "He's still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes … about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the [Teddy Roosevelt] Presidential Library, and even a little bit of Senate history," Jennings said. "I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible."

McConnell also reportedly spoke with Senator John Barrasso earlier in the day, and with Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Monday, according to NOTUS's Al Weaver. A Thune spokesperson told Weaver: "Leader Thune spoke with Senator McConnell yesterday by phone. They had a lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security."

However, not all lawmakers were confident. Utah Senator Mike Lee, a MAGA-aligned legislator, shared online that most of Congress had remained silent because they were completely in the dark about McConnell's health. "Many of us aren't speaking about Mitch McConnell's condition because we know nothing about his condition," Lee wrote on X Tuesday.

Rumors about McConnell's health intensified late Monday when far-right influencer Laura Loomer claimed on X that an unnamed "high level source close to the White House" told her McConnell is "officially brain dead." In a separate post, Loomer claimed McConnell is in organ failure and that the White House had been told he "isn't ever coming back."

Shortly afterward, reporter Desirée Townsend—who first broke the story that McConnell had gone into cardiac arrest in mid-June—said her sources had shared the same information. Within hours, far-right influencers were demanding...