Lansing, Michigan - Two people have died in Michigan in connection with an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness caused by a parasite, local authorities said on Monday, confirming the first deaths in the nationwide outbreak.

"According to medical records, both individuals had significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration," the Michigan Department of Health said in a statement.

No additional information will be provided on these two cases, the statement added.

At the same time, the authority stressed that cyclosporiasis is generally not a life-threatening illness.

Dogs Miniature dachshund goes TikTok viral with his adorable bedtime routine

"Death resulting from cyclosporiasis is uncommon in the United States," it said.

In recent weeks, there has been a surge in cases of cyclosporiasis across the US. 

According to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6,707 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis were recorded between early May and late July, with 423 people admitted to hospital.

Cases have been reported in almost every state.

The cause of the outbreak remains unclear.

The US Food and Drug Administration has linked the wave of infections to finely chopped iceberg lettuce from a supplier in Mexico, although test results have not yet confirmed this.

A sample from Taylor Farms in Mexico tested false positive for the Cyclospora parasite, and the agency has since apologized, according to the company.

World Petro fears "civil war" in Colombia after alleged electoral fraud

Nevertheless, the FDA's traceback investigations continued to point to the company's pre-cut iceberg lettuce as the cause of the outbreak, the agency wrote in mid-July, adding that it would continue investigations and ensure that affected products were withdrawn from the market.

The Cyclospora parasite is not usually transmitted from person to person, but via food or water contaminated with feces, according to the CDC.

It infects the small intestine and causes watery diarrhea with frequent, sometimes severe, bowel movements. Cyclosporiasis outbreaks usually occur in the summer.