A virus causing "explosive diarrhoea" is hitting hard in the US as it broke out in Michigan but could now be spreading into California. Health officials talk about a large cyclosporiasis outbreak and point at leafy greens as the suspected possible source. Michigan accounts for more than 2,600 cases already, per The Guardian, while the CDC has confirmed hundreds more across "dozens of states". No specific grower or supplier of lettuce and salad greens has been identified so far as the actual source of the illness.
The parasite is tricky to trace as symptoms can appear even weeks after the original infection. Cyclospora can cause prolonged water diarrhoea, appetite and weight loss, while its long incubation and reporting delays make it hard for patients to remember what they ate or where they acquired food.
Experts in public health warn that funding cuts may be making outbreak tracking even more complicated. In fact, this one comes after cuts to state and local health departments. FoodNet's monitoring programme has been narrowed too, while surveillance continues with the FDA, CDC, and local partners still investigating.
NBC reports, on the other hand, that some doctors are already urging extra caution with fresh produce while investigation continues. A San Diego infectious disease specialist advised avoiding fresh produce temporarily, even if washed, as cases reach California. However, guidance in Michigan focuses on thoroughly washing or cooking higher-risk greens and choosing whole heads of lettuce over bagged ones
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