Health officials are urging South Florida residents to take extra care with fresh produce as an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by a microscopic parasite, spreads across more than thirty states, including Florida.
The Florida Department of Health has reported more than one hundred cases in the state since the outbreak began in May. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed hundreds of cases with dozens of hospitalizations, while tallies drawn from state health departments suggest the true figure runs into the thousands. No deaths have been reported. Michigan has been hit hardest by far, recording numbers many times its annual average, with Ohio and New York also reporting significant clusters.
The illness is caused by the cyclospora parasite, which people contract by eating food or drinking water contaminated with it. The hallmark symptom is watery, sometimes explosive diarrhea, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and fatigue. Symptoms typically appear about a week after exposure but can take anywhere from two days to two weeks, which makes tracing the source difficult. Left untreated, symptoms can linger for weeks. Treatment is an oral antibiotic taken over roughly ten days.
Previous outbreaks in the United States have been linked to fresh produce, including raspberries, basil, cilantro, snow peas, and lettuce. The parasites cling stubbornly to fruits, vegetables, and herbs, making them hard to rinse away. Federal and state officials are investigating multiple outbreaks but have not identified a common source, and the CDC has said it is unclear whether the clusters in different states are connected.
Officials are not telling people to stop eating fresh produce. They recommend washing produce thoroughly, practicing good hand hygiene before and after handling food, and noting that cooking is effective, since heating food above roughly 158 degrees kills the parasite. Young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems face the greatest risk, largely from dehydration.
Anyone experiencing severe diarrhea or signs of dehydration should see a doctor. For a region that eats outdoors year round and imports produce from across the hemisphere, the advice is simple: wash carefully, and pay attention to how you feel.
