We really didn’t need another worry right after the hantavirus drama.
But here we are. A parasite is currently wreaking havoc on Americans. It causes explosive diarrhea. The medical term is cyclosporiasis. The reality is wet pants and misery.
Зміст
How bad is it?
Pretty bad.
By July 10. Michigan reported 1,562 cases. Normally, they see fifty a year. Forty-four people ended up in hospitals.
Ohio is next. One hundred and seventy-seven infected.
More than twenty states have flagged cases this summer.
This isn’t new. Remember 2013? Six hundred cases nationwide. In 2018, contaminated McDonald’s salad kits made five hundred people sick. The culprit is a parasite called cyclospora. It clings to fresh produce. You eat it. You get sick.
Fortunately. It does not spread person-to-person.
Likely suspects from past outbreaks include:
- Bagged salads
- Basil and cilantro
- Peas
- Berries
The symptoms are no fun
Watery diarrhea. Public health officials describe it as frequent. Sometimes explosive.
Other signs:
- Cramping
- Bloated belly
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Symptoms hit between two days and two weeks after eating tainted food.
No deaths yet. It is rarely fatal. But.
Untreated. It lasts a month. That is a long time to feel terrible. Immunocompromised folks face higher risks.
The scary part? Officials don’t know what’s causing this specific wave.
“At this time, no specificproduce grower, supplier, or typ e of produce has been identifiedas the source,” said Laina Stebbins from Michigan’s health department.
It is a mystery. The parasite is sneaky. Our food supply is globalized. Finding the source might take forever.
Why is it so hard to find?
Cyclosporiais is elusive. Scientists don’t even know the infectious dose. How much do you need to ingest? We just don’t know.
There could be almost none of the bug on your fruit. Testing becomes a needle-in-a-haystack game.
Time plays a trick too. You eat bad food Monday. You feel fine Friday. By the time you vomit two weeks later, your brain has already forgotten what you ate on Monday.
“I can barely remember what I had for dinners a couple of nights ago,” Dr. Kathleen Linder. Hospital epidemiologist in Michigan. “There is no way I’m going to beable to remember a week ago.”
And remember. Our food travels far.
It might grow in the tropics. Ship across oceans. Land in a US supermarket.
“Oftentimes… a contamination event occurs [abroad]. And then that produceis shipped throughout the area… it could go anywherein the world.”
Sometimes it’s local. In 2020. Florida produce went to an Illinois salad factory. The FDA suspected those farms. But they couldn’t prove it.
The point is simple.
Global supply chains mean more chances for errors. We want raspberries in December. That requires centralized distribution. Joseph Eisenberg from the University of Michigan notes it is a “luxury.”
Under the Trump administration. The CDC has fewer staff. This outbreak would have happened anyway. But state-level reporting is fragmented now. Information is lagging.
What you can do
Science will figure out the source. Eventually.
But you? You are eating now.
Cook what you can. Heat kills cyclospora. It is the best defense.
If eating raw? Wash everything. Running water. Use a brush on melons.
See bruised fruit? Cut it off.
Think that pre-washed package is safe? Rewash it anyway. Dr. Linder recommends it.
Bagged salads have been troublemakers before. Buy a whole head. Trim the outer leaves. Separate and wash the insides.
Green onions? Cut the bulb and outer layer.
Raspberries were a major suspect in the 199Os. Their bumpy skins are nightmares to clean. Consider cooking them into jam. Or freeze them first. Freezing likely reduces or kills the parasite.
Refrigerate leftovers within two hours.
Local might be safer. Cyclosporis is common in foods from other regions. If you buy local. You skip some of those tropical hops.
Stay hydrated if diarrhea hits. Watch for dizziness or dark urine. Go to a doctor then. Tell your health department too.
Experts will find the cause. Probably.
But the parasite stays. It is built into the modern food system. A little extra scrubbing before dinner might save your stomach. Maybe.
