Cyclosporiasis Outbreak: How to Protect Yourself at the Table
A parasitic illness has sickened roughly 6,700 Americans since May. Experts offer practical steps to reduce your risk.
A wave of cyclosporiasis cases has quietly swept across the United States since May, leaving nearly 6,700 people ill with the gastrointestinal parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis — the microscopic culprit behind prolonged, watery diarrhea that can linger far longer than a typical stomach bug. The scale of the outbreak has drawn renewed attention to the vulnerabilities embedded in America's fresh produce supply chain, where contamination can travel from farm to fork with little visible warning.
Public health guidance circulating in response to the outbreak centers on one straightforward but counterintuitive message: skip the lettuce. Raw leafy greens have historically been among the most common vehicles for Cyclospora transmission, partly because the parasite resists standard washing and requires heat to be reliably neutralized. That distinction matters enormously — cooking other greens effectively eliminates the risk, while rinsing raw salad greens may offer only marginal protection.
Read more Fed Expected to Hold Rates Steady: What It Means for You →
The broader advisory — cook your other greens — reflects an important principle in foodborne illness prevention: preparation method is often as consequential as ingredient sourcing. Cyclospora is not destroyed by cold temperatures or chemical rinses the way some bacteria can be, making thermal treatment the most dependable safeguard for produce that can reasonably be heated before consumption.
For consumers, the outbreak is a reminder that foodborne illness risk is not uniform across the produce aisle. Imported herbs, berries, and leafy vegetables have been implicated in past Cyclospora outbreaks, and awareness of seasonal risk windows — particularly late spring through summer — can help households make more informed choices. Anyone experiencing persistent diarrhea lasting more than a few days should consult a physician, as cyclosporiasis often requires antibiotic treatment rather than resolving on its own.
Continue reading at MarketWatch.com
