Galenn Sekulich started to feel nauseous June 21. She was clammy, her heart was racing and she had no appetite for her favorite foods.
She brushed it off as anxiety and went to bed. At 2 a.m., the urge to throw up woke her from her sleep. Some anti-nausea medication kept vomiting at bay, but the symptoms persisted for days. The 33-year-old was dizzy, waking up in puddles of sweat. She couldn’t keep food down.
“Anytime I tried to eat, I would have to go to the bathroom, or I’d want to throw up,” Sekulich told USA TODAY, adding she started to worry she had stomach cancer. “I was honestly panicked.”
After a trip to the emergency room, a test confirmed she had cyclosporiasis, the parasitic infection spiking across the country.
Her Cyclosporiasis Symptoms Have ‘Lingered and Lingered’
Sekulich, who’s based in Detroit, described the sickness as a vicious combo of illnesses.
“It felt like I had COVID fatigue because my body felt so weak, but then it also felt like I had norovirus that wasn’t ending,” she explained, adding she’s still struggling to eat anything that isn’t a piece of toast even now, more than two weeks since her illness began.
For many, cyclosporiasis can also cause frequent, watery diarrhea or explosive bowel movements, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as cramps, bloating and low-grade fever.
With other sicknesses, you start to improve, Sekulich explained, but with cyclosporiasis, it’s never-ending.
“This has just lingered and lingered,” the self-employed mom of three said. “It’s really hard to be sick for two weeks … You can’t stand up because you can’t eat, and your body’s so tired and fatigued.”
The illness also caused her to lose 10 pounds in only five days, she said.
And while people are joking on social media about the illness causing rapid weight loss, Sekulich says it’s no laughing matter.
“That’s not healthy at all. It’s concerning,” she said.
To make matters worse, Sekulich is allergic to Bactrim, an antibiotic that is a primary treatment option for cyclosporiasis.
After dealing with insurance and availability issues, she was finally able to get her hands on the medication she needed this week thanks in part to someone who follows her on social media.
“I have the privilege of having a community of women on social media who help support me,” she said. “What about for people who don’t?”
Rising Cases Are ‘Eye-Opening and Concerning’
As she tries to recover, Sekulich’s experience has shifted how her family eats.
“I spent $30 on produce, and then I found out about this, and I told my son, ‘Oh, sorry, we’re not eating any fruit,’” she laughed, adding they’re sticking to applesauce and canned fruits out of caution.
Cyclosporiasis spreads when people consume contaminated food or beverages, according to the Food and Drug Administration, and the primary risk comes from eating contaminated fresh produce.
Despite spending an hour speaking with Michigan health officials, she still doesn’t know exactly what caused her infection. State health officials are also still investigating other rising cases in the area.
Sekulich suspects, however, the culprit for her may have been a bagged grocery store salad or restaurant salad − the only things she ate different from her baby, who remains healthy.
“It’s eye-opening and concerning that something like this can happen,” she said. “There’s 1,200 people in Michigan sick and they still can’t figure it out.”
Reporting by Sara Moniuszko, USA TODAY.
