{"id":3027,"date":"2026-07-15T12:08:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T12:08:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interstatelogisticshubs.com\/?p=3027"},"modified":"2026-07-15T12:08:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T12:08:49","slug":"cyclosporiasis-a-doctor-answers-questions-about-the-parasite-in-your-produce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interstatelogisticshubs.com\/?p=3027","title":{"rendered":"Cyclosporiasis: A doctor answers questions about the parasite in your produce"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Food contamination is a constant concern in the United States, especially from imported produce.\u00a0\u00a0U.S. citizens take for granted the ability to buy bananas in Montana in February.\u00a0\u00a0As long as we import food, however, we must take special care to eliminate subtropical and tropical disease\u2013causing organisms from our food.\u00a0\u00a0This summer, we\u2019re experiencing a double-threat from a parasite called \u201cCyclospora.\u201d<\/p>

Read more California destroys its own movie industry, then blames it for wanting to leave<\/a><\/p>\n

Cases of food contamination due to Cyclospora (known as cyclosporiasis) have been reported in more than 30 states from New Hampshire to California, with more than 3,300 infected in Michigan alone.\u00a0\u00a0In most cases, fresh imported produce, especially greens and vegetables, were identified as likely origins.\u00a0\u00a0Taco Bell is being investigated as a possible origin, although the FDA has not put out any public notice mentioning the chain at present.<\/p>\n

Feces contaminated with Cyclospora can also contaminate municipal swimming pools and natural bodies of water.\u00a0\u00a0Incidental ingestion of water from infected sources can sicken you.<\/p>\n

What is Cyclospora?<\/h1>\n

Cyclospora is a one-celled parasite that naturally inhabits the tropics and subtropics, where it seems to cause seasonal outbreaks.\u00a0\u00a0The U.S. cases, however, mostly occurred in people who had not recently visited the tropics before symptoms began.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Life Cycle of Cyclospora<\/h1>\n

Cyclospora is spread by people ingesting food or water contaminated with feces containing Cyclospora \u201coocysts\u201d (essentially a thick-walled fertilized ovum).\u00a0\u00a0Unlike some similar parasites, however, the oocyst needs time (usually, at least one to two weeks) after being passed in a bowel movement to become infectious.\u00a0\u00a0The good news, therefore, is that it\u2019s unlikely that Cyclospora can be passed directly from one person to another.\u00a0\u00a0More commonly, oocysts contaminate crops or water sources.<\/p>\n

Symptoms of Cyclosporiasis<\/h1>\n

Exactly how food and water first become contaminated with Cyclospora oocysts isn\u2019t\u00a0fully understood, but once the oocysts \u201chatch\u201d in the human body, the microbes enter the intestinal wall.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s when symptoms begin to manifest.\u00a0\u00a0They include:<\/p>\n