The upscale upstate New York neighborhood of Millbrook kicked off the summer on an unpleasant note after a parasitic worm-related outbreak spread among the wealthy residents after a gala party.
“everyone [was] “It’s extremely sick. It’s like the zombie apocalypse,” a source familiar with the situation told Page Six about the upscale enclave.
“All activity has been sparse, including Independence Day parties,” they added recently.
Local authorities said 200 of the estimated 400 people who attended the event reported symptoms.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines the likely causative agent, Cyclospora, as “an intestinal illness caused by a parasite.” CDC recommendations for infection prevention “Avoid food and water that may contain feces.” Yippee!
The parasite is thought to have appeared in the fashionable country town on June 15, when hundreds of people attended a gathering. Dutchess Land Conservancy’s Annual Spring Barn Dance At Saunders Farm’s historic sheep shed.
“Everybody’s down! Everyone’s calling it the DLC plague,” another source said dramatically.
Some found a ray of hope.
“You don’t need Ozempic when you have parasites. People are getting super sick and losing 9, 10, 11, 12 pounds. Nobody can eat anything. Summer beach bodies are ready,” joked a local. “The only people who don’t want to get sick are the ones who drank vodka tonics and didn’t eat food.”
The source added that attendance at other events in the city had thinned out as “people kept falling ill,” including an international polo tournament where a group of participants “turned up and left early because they were feeling unwell.”
Initially, many local residents reportedly suspected they had contracted a norovirus outbreak, but the Dutchess County Behavioral and Community Health Director told the DLC president that he believed “Cyclospora may be involved in the illness.”
“While it is not conclusive at this point, it is our suspicion at this time,” the organization said in an email viewed by Page Six.
While not mentioning DLC, a spokesperson for DBCH, which is affiliated with the New York State Department of Health, confirmed that they are conducting an “investigation into a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to the incident in Millbrook, New York.”
“Approximately 200 of the estimated 400 event attendees reported symptoms consistent with cyclosporiasis…Event organizers, hosts, food service providers and attendees have cooperated with DBCH and NYSDOH staff throughout the investigation, which is ongoing,” they said.
