Ann McNitt found herself in the emergency room in Michigan this month with an upset stomach, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. She had endured two full days of trips to the bathroom every 20 to 30 minutes and was concerned about her hydration and potassium levels.
“I went to the emergency room, still feeling horrible,” recalled McNitt, 67.
A retired nurse with over 40 years of experience — and decades-old memories of what she suspects was norovirus — McNitt recognized the symptoms of severe dehydration.
In the ER, doctors set her up with an IV for fluids and a prescription for potassium tablets. They also ordered a test for cyclospora, the infamous parasite causing thousands of cases of severe diarrhea across the country.
Since late June, thousands of people in Michigan have come down with the uncomfortable, longlasting symptoms associated with the parasite. Shredded iceberg lettuce sold at Taco Bell has been linked to the outbreak in at least five states, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Food and Drug Administration confirmed.
