A new outbreak involving a diarrhea-causing parasite is now under investigation by federal health officials.
As of Wednesday, 72 people have been caught up in this latest outbreak. The Food and Drug Administration has not yet pinpointed which food products are responsible for the illnesses, and officials have not disclosed where the cases are occurring. The Associated Press has reached out to the FDA seeking additional details.
This new cluster comes on the heels of another cyclospora situation already underway. Earlier this week, federal officials said they were still focused on lettuce from Taylor Farms as the source of a separate multistate outbreak. Last week, that company announced a recall of iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico.
Cyclospora is a tiny, microscopic parasite that contaminates food when it comes into contact with human feces — most often when produce is irrigated or rinsed with water that has been contaminated. Once a person consumes the parasite, it triggers an intestinal illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes the symptoms as including “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements.”
Health authorities at both the federal and state levels have been working to investigate multiple separate clusters of cyclospora illness, including the one connected to Taylor Farms.
To protect yourself, health officials recommend washing hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the bathroom and before touching food. It is important to note that alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not effective against cyclospora — but soap and water are.
