A grim milestone in Louisiana’s cyclosporiasis outbreak as the state has now confirmed 100 cases of people infected with the parasite that causes explosive diarrhea. State Epidemiologist Theresa Sokol says that’s considerably more than the state usually sees in the first seven months of the year.
“Over the past five years, Louisiana confirmed an average of 43 cases during the same time period. So, we’re a little more than double the cases that we typically see,” Sokol said.
Of those 100 patients, six have been hospitalized. Sokol says while cyclosporiasis is not considered to be a deadly disease, one of the characteristics is that it can be prolonged.
“People can actually experience these symptoms for up to a month; and then, even after they go away, they may return,” Sokol noted.
Sokol says if you typically like to start your dinner each night with a salad, you shouldn’t be afraid to continue doing so. She says it’s simply important to take the precautions you should be taking anyways with fresh produce, including thoroughly washing it ahead of time – and perhaps taking one or two extra steps for the time being.
“Discarding the outer layer of the fruits and vegetables; stripping away the first outer two to three layers of lettuce and cabbage and then washing thoroughly; that can help reduce and get rid of some of the parasites,” Sokol advised.
