A bird that most people never see outside of pictures was found under a car in Pennsylvania, animal experts said. 

The Raven Ridge Wildlife Center in Lancaster County said in a Facebook post on Friday that an albino cardinal was found under a car. 

The nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation center in Washington Borough said it received a call from a woman who found a white bird under her car that appeared to be injured. The bird was also trying to drink water from beneath the vehicle. The post said that due to the dangerous heat wave, it has been admitting any distressed or unusually behaving animals for examinations. 

When Raven Ridge Wildlife Center’s team arrived at the scene, they said they were “instantly taken aback.” 

“Our eyes widened and our jaws dropped as we realized we were witnessing a rare occurrence that most people never see outside of pictures. This was a fledgling albino cardinal,” the Facebook post said. 

The chances of seeing an albino cardinal are “extremely low,” the center said, adding that albino cardinals are considered one of the rarest bird sightings. Estimates suggest that seeing any cardinal displaying white feathers is about 1 in 30,000, the center said.

“True albino cardinals, which lack all pigmentation, are even rarer,” the center said. 

What is the albino cardinal? 

The albino cardinal’s rarity is due to a genetic mutation that causes a lack of melanin, resulting in its distinctive white plumage and reddish-pink eyes, officials said. 

According to the center’s Facebook post, albino cardinals face “significant” survival challenges due to their “conspicuous coloration,” which makes it difficult to evade predators. The animal’s lack of melanin can also lead to poor vision. 

Raven Ridge Wildlife Center rescued the bird, which will remain in captivity because its chances of surviving in the wild are “slim.” 

“What an amazing opportunity for our team to see and care for this beautiful Cardinal,” the Facebook post concluded with. 

A “large and growing” outbreak of a parasitic infection is spreading in Michigan, health officials warned this week.

As of Thursday, more than 300 cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal infection, have been confirmed, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) told ABC News. Typically, the state only sees about 50 cases per year, according to MDHHS.

The parasite usually spreads through food or water contaminated with feces, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“We are working closely with our state and local partners to identify the source of this outbreak that is making so many people ill as quickly as possible,” Lynn Sutfin, public information officer for MDHHS, told ABC News.

The outbreak comes as the CDC reports 145 cases have been infected in 17 states, excluding Michigan, as of June 15, with at least 20 people hospitalized.

Residents in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are among those dealing with the illness.

Authorities are investigating several clusters of cyclosporiasis cases in multiple states.

Doctors told ABC News that cases usually start in May, so the Michigan outbreak occurred during the time or year when public health specialists typically would see a rise in cases. However, the number of cases in Michigan is particularly high, doctors said.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases specialist and associate dean for regional campuses at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News that in years past, the U.S. used to see many cases cyclosporiasis acquired outside of the U.S, or from imported vegetables and fruits.

“But now we’re starting to have more domestic cases as well,” Chin-Hong said.

Foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of imported fresh produce, such as raspberries, basil, snow peas, mesclun lettuce and cilantro, according to the CDC. The agency further said it takes about one week from the time of infection to become symptomatic, but that time can range from two days to two weeks.

Some patients do not experience any symptoms but, for those who do, the most common symptom is “explosive watery diarrhea,” Dr. Zoe Weiss, director of clinical microbiology at Tufts Medical Center, told ABC News.

Other symptoms can include cramping, bloating, low-grade fever, nausea and vomiting, Weiss said.

“Though in most cases this illness causes discomfort from cramping, bloating and watery diarrhea, we are concerned about individuals who may be immunocompromised due to cancer treatment or an organ transplant as the effects may be more severe,” Sutfin from MDHHS said.

Weiss said the infection is very unlikely to spread from person-to-person “because the parasite is passed in the stool, and then it requires days to weeks of sporulation in the environment before it can become infectious.”

Chin-Hong said that oftentimes people dismiss watery diarrhea, but it is important to get a diagnosis to get treatment as soon as possible.

Cyclosporiasis is treated with the oral antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), commonly sold as Bactrim, Septra and Cotrim, taken for 10 days, according to the CDC.

Doctors told ABC News that people can prevent infection by thoroughly washing produce, cutting away bruised or damaged parts of fruits and vegetables, and refrigerating pre-prepared or pre-cut produce.

“If you’re in an area that’s been affected and you have sudden ongoing watery diarrhea, you should definitely seek a physician and get treatment,” Weiss said.