Diarrhea-causing parasite that can contaminate raw produce causing misery across several states
Summer is peak season for warm-weather treats like fresh fruits and salad greens, but for now, you may want to consider cooking or at least washing raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly. A parasite called Cyclospora, which can infect raw produce and cause severe and prolonged diarrheal illness, is making people sick in many states.
Michigan, which usually detects about 50 cases of cyclosporiasis per year, reported almost 600 cases as of July 4. accordingly the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.
New York state, excluding New York City, has seen 107 cases since May 1. According to the New York State Department of Health, 500 to 700 cases are typically recorded statewide each year.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is normal for case numbers to increase during the summer months. Nationwide, 145 cases were reported from 17 states between May 1 and June 16, with at least 20 of them hospitalized. accordingly CDC. Recent cases in Michigan are not included in the CDC’s total.
Federal and state health officials say there is no evidence of a single multistate Cyclospora outbreak connecting all the cases. Research to identify potential clusters and sources of disease is ongoing.
Cyclosporiasis is caused by a single-celled parasite carried in human feces. Water contaminated with feces contaminates food when sprayed on crops. Professor of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Dr. David Freedman said it began to proliferate in plants in the moist environment of a farm field. This can often be a problem for those who travel, although the CDC says the cases currently being investigated do not report travel in the two weeks before getting sick.
Freedman said that while no specific food has been implicated in the current outbreaks, there are two categories of produce that frequently emerge as the source of outbreaks: the category of what Freedman calls “basil and herbs” — “cilantro, basil, herbs that grow that you can put in a salad or use as a garnish” — and the category of fresh fruits, which he describes as “strawberries, blueberries, melons, things that grow in the fields.”
The parasite is killed by heat, so cooking normally takes care of it, but when the weather gets warmer and people look for ways to keep their stoves off, this sickening bug finds an opening.
To avoid getting sick, it is important to wash all fresh produce thoroughly before eating.
“Just washing it with plenty of water will remove the organisms from there,” Freedman said.
It is also important to thoroughly wash hands and kitchen counters and cut surfaces.
But keep in mind that bleach does not kill the parasite, Freedman says. So Clorox wipes used on the go or at a picnic won’t work. Instead, washing hands thoroughly with soap and water and following up with alcohol-based hand sanitizer are safer bets.
The main symptoms of the infection are frequent watery diarrhea, loss of appetite and low-grade fever, which can begin two to 14 days after consuming contaminated food, Freedman says.
He added that if you get sick, it’s important to stay hydrated and replenish electrolytes with a drink like Gatorade or Pedialyte.
“If you have really bad diarrhea and a little bit of a fever, I would probably seek medical attention right away,” Freedman said.
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