Foodborne illnesses: Is the US really being hit harder this year?

Between outbreaks of explosive diarrhea leading to nationwide lettuce recalls and cases of Salmonella tied to eggs and jalapeños, foodborne diseases in the United States have been hitting the headlines hard this summer.

But is the U.S. really contending with more foodborne infections than usual this year, or does the extensive news coverage just make it feel that way? Live Science spoke with researchers to find out.

Here's what the experts wish people knew about the recent outbreaks.

What is Cyclospora, and how many people have been infected? Cyclospora cayetanensis is a single-celled parasite that, when ingested, can cause an intestinal illness known as cyclosporiasis.

Symptoms of the infection include watery diarrhea, nausea and cramping.

It's rarely fatal, but its symptoms can be severe; specific antibiotics can clear the infection.

There are currently several unrelated outbreaks of cyclosporiasis in the United States, most of which have not been linked to specific sources of contamination.

Across all of the outbreaks combined, 10,468 lab-confirmed and a further suspected 12,255 cases were reported in the U.S. between May 1 and Aug.

4.

Health officials have linked the largest of the outbreaks to iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and supplied by Taylor Farms.

A recall of the affected produce was issued July 17 .

As of Aug.

5 , over 6,300 cases of cyclosporiasis across 15 states have been linked to this outbreak, resulting in 278 hospitalizations and two deaths .

However, despite the large number of cases involved, the outbreak linked to lettuce does not necessarily represent a cause for alarm.