WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A parasite that causes “explosive” diarrhea and cramping has sickened more than 800 people across the country, including in Kansas, and the source could be hiding in some of the healthiest foods in your kitchen. Health officials say there are simple steps you can take to protect yourself.
Since May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been documenting cases of cyclosporiasis. The infection is caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis, a parasite spread through food or water contaminated with feces.
Experts at the Sedgwick County Health Department and the University of Kansas School of Medicine say people can reduce their risk by washing their hands and produce thoroughly. These steps won’t eliminate the risk entirely, but they remain the best defense against the illness.
You got the ‘explosive’ diarrhea parasite. Now what?
Kansas currently has 22 cases of Cyclospora, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, including five in Sedgwick County.
“The symptoms are watery diarrhea that often is called, for lack of a better term, ‘explosive,’” said Dr. Robert Wittler, a professor of pediatrics at the KU School of Medicine…