Scores of people in the United States have been sickened by a parasite commonly linked to contaminated fresh produce that can cause weeks of watery diarrhea. But there are ways to protect yourself and still enjoy summer’s bounty of fruits and vegetables.The exact source of one of the nation’s largest outbreaks in years of cyclospora infections is still not known. And it can be hard to figure out what food sick people had in common, because sometimes it’s a single ingredient that might be common in multiple recipes — like basil or cilantro.Luckily cyclospora infections are generally treatable with antibiotics and rarely cause serious complications.And there are ways to avoid getting it altogether.Here are tips for reducing the risk:
This article is part of AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well.
Cyclospora can be tricky to investigateCyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 1,500 people in Michigan have been diagnosed with the parasitic infection and investigations into similar illnesses have been going on in 30 other states, making it the largest such outbreaks in state history and one of the nation’s largest in years. No deaths have been reported.
