What Is the Cyclospora Parasite Outbreak? Symptoms and Prevention Tips

As food-borne illnesses go, cyclosporiasis isn’t the worst thing that can happen to you. But you won’t soon forget it.

Caused by the microscopic cyclospora parasite, it can cause a range of icky symptoms, including bloating, cramping, vomiting and explosive diarrhea. It’s not life-threatening, but it can lead to severe dehydration and a trip to the hospital in extreme cases.

The disease has been on a tear recently, with more than 1,400 reported cases across states stretching from Florida to New York and Texas. Investigators are still trying to figure out where the outbreak started and how to contain it.

How Does Cyclospora Spread and How Is It Tracked?

You don’t have to worry about catching the disease from other people. The parasite usually spreads by way of contaminated water and produce – think leafy greens and berries. So you are most likely to be exposed to the parasite while swimming or while eating salads, fruits and vegetables that haven’t been adequately washed.

Any time there is an outbreak of a foodborne illness, one of the first goals is to figure out the source of the infection. This can be particularly tough with cyclospora, because there is a lengthy time delay from the point of the infection to the onset of the disease symptoms.

Often, when you have a severe digestive reaction, you can look to what you ate during the past 24 hours to find the culprit. But with this parasite, it can take much longer before the first symptoms show. So it’s not what you ate yesterday, but what you ate one or two weeks ago.

This prevents a substantial obstacle for investigators, who need to go much deeper into patient dietary histories to find their common links.

Who Is Most at Risk for Severe Cyclospora Illness?

Not everyone who gets the parasite will develop the worst of the symptoms. But as with many such diseases, the most vulnerable are those who have compromised immune systems.

This could include people who are being treated for HIV, undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer or who are dealing with a chronic illness. A weaker immune system inhibits the body’s ability to fight the parasite.

These are the people who are more likely to need hospitalization to help recover from dehydration and loss of electrolytes.

Once the disease is identified, treatment is a course of antibiotics.

How to Prevent Cyclospora: Tips for Washing Produce

The parasite lives on the surface of fruits and vegetables. And since it doesn’t burrow its way inside, it can be washed away.

One of the best ways to avoid food-borne illnesses is to get in the habit of washing all your produce before eating it. Surveys have shown that many Americans don’t even consider washing their fruits and veggies unless they are visibly dirty.

What you may not realize is that those fruits and vegetables are packaged up directly at the farm, before being sent into the nation’s grocery stores for you to buy. Even with those products advertised as pre-washed, you should be taking precautions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that you wash everything – regardless of the marketing on the package.

Here are a few tips for washing your foods:

• With leafy greens and berries, let them soak in water for a while.
• If the vegetable has a heavy rind (like a potato), use a vegetable scrub brush.
• Skip the soap, which can leave an unpleasant residue.

• Some people think of vinegar as a perfect cleaner. Unfortunately, its acidity can affect the taste of your food. It still may work with salad greens and other dishes that typically call for vinegar.

This content is not AI generated.