It’s probably not news to you that a parasite that causes explosive diarrhea has been surging in the US.
The outbreak of the parasite Cyclospora has been linked to iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico and sold across the states.
Unnervingly, the parasite is transmitted by food and water contaminated by feces.
Basically, the parasite’s oocysts are shed and released to the environment via poop. After one to two weeks in a warm environment, they sporulate and develop.
When ingested, these mature oocysts hatch inside the new host’s small intestine and start their life cycle again.
This is why person-to-person transmission is essentially impossible; Cyclospora outbreaks almost always trace back to a contaminated food or water source.
Bagged salad greens are often a likely culprit in foodborne parasite outbreaks, because they’re mainly eaten raw, and there are multiple stages in the production process where contamination can occur.
So what can we do to stay safe during this outbreak while also keeping up our intake of leafy greens?
Many people online are suggesting washing lettuce in vinegar, bleach, or other cleaning products.
Unfortunately, while washing your food is always recommended, this doesn’t appear to be effective for Cyclospora because the parasite’s protective shell can’t easily be penetrated by washing or sanitizers.
“Washing is great. Washing with a vegetable brush is even better, but you still cannot definitively say that you have removed and/or killed the parasite with that method,” gastroenterologist Rotonya De Latour from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine told Scientific American.
Besides diarrhea, symptoms can also include weight loss, cramping, bloating, a loss of appetite, nausea, and fatigue. They usually start appearing around a week after a Cyclospora parasite infection.
Symptoms can be shortened with antibiotics but can persist for a month or more if left untreated.
So how can you avoid getting sick? The safest option of all is simply to avoid bagged salads, which are the most common culprits.
Epidemiologist Marisa Donnelly gave some handy advice in a recent blog post for Your Local Epidemiologist.
“Continue to avoid bagged and boxed salads at grocery stores and restaurants,” she writes.
“I’m still sticking to produce that can be peeled or vegetables with smooth surfaces, like cucumbers, until more data comes in.”
You can also choose whole heads of lettuce and discard the outer layers, before thoroughly washing what’s left.
For greens that can be cooked, you’re in luck. Heat is the only method that reliably kills Cyclospora. Just make sure you get the food to temperatures of at least 158 Fahrenheit or 70 degrees Celsius.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official guidelines are to wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking; scrub firm produce with a clean produce brush; and cut away any damaged or bruised areas before preparing.
Good luck out there.
