Fear is contagious. Lately? It’s explosive diarrhea.
The Centers for Disease Control says 1,645 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis have popped up nationwide as of July 14. Another 5,100 are probable, which means people are sick but tests are still pending. It is one of the biggest foodborne outbreaks in recent years.
Gastroenterologists are tired. Not because it’s new. Parasitic infections happen all the time. But the scale? Way higher than last year.
“What’s notable this year is the size. It dwarfs the same period from twelve months ago,” says Dr. Saurabh Seth, a GI doctor in California.
Symptoms include watery diarrhea that doesn’t quit. Bloating. Nausea. The works. The CDC told doctors to watch out for patients where these symptoms drag on past a few days.
So, what do the specialists actually do? We asked three of them how they survive summer without losing their minds or their digestive health.
Cook Your Greens
Sethi isn’t eating raw salads right now. At least not the kind with lots of leafy stuff.
He heats things up. Cyclospora dies at 158 degrees Fahrenheit. A quick sauté on spinach or basil? Safe. Tossing them raw into a green salad? Riskier business.
He washes everything too. Hard. Under running water.
“Thorough washing, cooking when you can. That’s it,” Sethi says.
He is also picking his produce suppliers carefully. Michigan is getting hit hard with the parasite, and officials suspect lettuce or salad mix. California is relatively clear, but Sethi sticks to domestic chains he knows. Farmer’s markets look appealing right now, mostly for transparency.
Wash Everything (Yes, Even “Clean” Stuff)
Dr. Kyle Staller from Massachusetts General Hospital takes a slightly different angle. He refuses to demonize entire food groups.
“We don’t know the source yet,” Staller points out. “Until someone proves a specific batch of kale is poisoned, don’t ban all greens.”
But he does clean harder.
Hand washing is non-negotiable. Soap, water, scrubbing. Then rinsing every piece of fruit and vegetable. Even if the box says pre-washed. Those labels lie. Or rather, they represent a minimum standard that parasites might still beat.
Staller uses a brush on hard skins like melons or cucumbers. He cuts away bruises. He puts cut produce in the fridge immediately instead of leaving it sweating on the counter.
Does washing kill every single germ? No. That’s impossible. The goal isn’t sterility. It’s damage control.
“Lower your risk through sensible handling. Don’t become afraid of fresh food,” he warns.
Swap Your Habits
When the bad food isn’t identified yet, you improvise.
Dr. Wendi LeBret, founder of ModernGut, looks at historical patterns. Past outbreaks were tied to basil, parsley, raspberries, and green onions. She plays it safe by changing what goes in her mouth.
Fresh herbs out. Dried herbs in. Homegrown produce? Keep that, if you can trust your garden.
She swaps raw berries for cooked apples and stewed berries in yogurt. Veggies get air-fried or roasted or simmered into curry. Anything that gets heat treatment passes the safety test.
For fruit? Peels are your friend. Oranges. Bananas. Watermelon. You eat what you can strip away from the outside in.
LeBret even recommends beans. Just, you know, eat more beans. 🥦
Calm Down (Mostly)
Here is the hard truth: panic won’t stop a parasite.
LeBret tells her patients to check their own risk profile. Where do you live? Is there an outbreak spike near you? Do you have a weakened immune system?
If the answer to the last two is no, you can probably eat a salad without dying.
This isn’t about avoidance. It’s about substitution. One simple switch—dried thyme instead of fresh basil, for instance—might buy you some peace of mind until the CDC pins the culprit down.
Then you eat whatever the hell you want again. Probably.
“Once the source is known, we go back to normal,” LeBret promises.
Until then, wash your hands. Cook your spinach. And maybe skip the unwashed parsley. Just for a while.
