Everything You Need To Know About The Cyclospora Outbreak

At this point, I have no idea what Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. meant by “Make America Healthy Again.” In recent weeks, there’s been an outbreak of cyclospora, a parasite that causes explosive, watery diarrhea. Since the federal government has done literally nothing to address it, we figured we’d do our part by telling you everything you need to know about the parasite and how to avoid it.

What is Cyclospora?

Cyclospora is a parasite that causes a gastrointestinal illness called cyclosporiasis. According to NBC News, cyclosporiasis is a foodborne illness that causes vomiting, nausea, and severe watery diarrhea.

Essentially, it is far more aggressive than your average bout of food poisoning. 

“If you get norovirus or something, you might have a rough 24 or 48 hours, but people with this parasite can be sick for weeks or sometimes even months with a sort of relapsing pattern, and so that can really wear down your body,” Dr. Caitlin Rivers, a public health researcher and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told CNN.

This aligns with an account given by Galenn Sekulich, a mom in Michigan who told USA Today about the symptoms she’s still enduring two weeks after being diagnosed with the illness. 

“It felt like I had COVID fatigue because my body felt so weak, but then it also felt like I had norovirus that wasn’t ending,” she explained. “This has just lingered and lingered. It’s really hard to be sick for two weeks … You can’t stand up because you can’t eat, and your body’s so tired and fatigued.” 

Where Is The Outbreak Happening?

The largest outbreak is currently in Michigan, where over 1,000 people have been diagnosed with the illness. Cases have been reported in 28 other states, including Texas, California, New York, and North Carolina. Health officials in Michigan have yet to identify the source of the outbreak, and it’s unknown whether all the emerging cases are linked to the same one. The parasite loves heat, which isn’t great, given that many states are experiencing significant heat waves. 

Despite thousands of cases being reported, the federal government has yet to acknowledge it or put out information on how to avoid it. Which tracks, considering that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stopped tracking cyclospora cases last year.

It’s worth noting that food safety experts warned last year that the Trump administration’s anti-regulatory approach and cost-cutting measures at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would increase the likelihood of foodborne illnesses. Sure enough, we’ve got a massive Cyclospora outbreak as well as the first New World Screwworm outbreak in decades. 

It’s almost like those regulations were put in place for a reason. Who could’ve known?

How Can I Avoid It? 

Well, I’d say avoid produce altogether, but that’s not necessarily helpful, especially if you happen to be on a plant-based diet. Historically, fresh produce has been the cause of Cyclospora outbreaks. The parasite clings to fruit, vegetables, and herbs, making it hard to wash away.

AP reports that medical experts recommend avoiding prewashed, bagged lettuce or salad mixes and opting for whole lettuce heads instead. If you’re going to make a salad, they suggest removing the outer layers of a lettuce head and thoroughly washing it. Though, as noted above, that may not guarantee you avoid the parasite. Experts also recommend cooking vegetables whenever possible. 

Should you have diarrhea, nausea, and/or dizziness for over two days, you should go see a doctor. The illness typically isn’t life-threatening and can be treated with antibiotics. 

If we were under an administration that could do the bare minimum functions of governance, or even cared about keeping the American public safe, we probably wouldn’t have to worry about our food destroying our digestive systems. I love that the U.S. population decided we gotta suffer a dookie demon because the movies were getting a little too woke. What fun. 

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