Just when you thought the biggest thing lurking in your summer salad was an overpriced avocado, along comes Cyclosporiasis [1] – a parasite now sickening people across Michigan and showing up in outbreaks in other states as well.
State health officials are investigating up to 228 Michigan cases, most concentrated in southeast Michigan. These include the counties of Monroe, Lenawee, Washtenaw, Wayne, Livingston, Shiawassee and Jackson with Monroe being the hardest hit. The state is trying to track down the cause. Typically, Michigan only identifies around 50 cyclosporiasis cases per year.
The symptoms aren’t subtle either. Think frequent watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, bloating, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss and low-grade fever. Left untreated, the illness can drag on for weeks or even longer. Health officials say antibiotics can help, but first you have to realize your stomach isn’t just “having a bad day.”
Officials say the microscopic parasite is commonly spread through fresh produce contaminated with fecal matter. Ew…
The parasite isn’t just causing havoc (and trips to the bathroom) in Michigan though. Federal health officials are also investigating cases reported in multiple states, but so far no common source has been identified.
Michigan’s Departments of Health and Agriculture are urging residents to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, scrub firm produce like melons and cucumbers, cut away bruised spots and refrigerate prepared produce promptly while investigators work to identify the source of the outbreak. Officials also stress that the parasite is not known to spread from person to person.
So enjoy your summer produce. Just give it a good rinse first. Nobody wants their most memorable vacation souvenir to be a parasite with a name that’s harder to pronounce than the symptoms are to explain.