Poopapocalypse Parasite Continues
New Strain, New Denials - be vigilent
Cyclospora circulates annually, but never has there been an outbreak of this magnitude. The current outbreak is over 12000 cases and involves more than one outbreak.
Here is what we know: The outbreak most of you have read about came from a farm in Mexico and involved shredded lettuce sold to Taylor Farms for distribution. That lettuce has been recalled.
Clearly, that is not the only outbreak.
So far, there is another one identified among some 70 people, but there will be more.
When can we eat vegetables again
Food borne illness occurs when a small contamination, like the one farm in Mexico, is mixed with others. But it can happen to any farm where human waste is contaminated with water used to irrigate crops.
It is the lettuce
Every year, foodborne illness hospitalizes 130,000 people. That is one in six of us. About 30,000 of those hospitalizations are from produce. Leafy green vegetables are the most common source, and lettuce is the major culprit.
Probably one of the best articles written was Yang X, Scharff R. Foodborne Illnesses from Leafy Greens in the United States: Attribution, Burden, and Cost. J Food Prot. 2024 Jun;87(6):100275. doi: 10.1016/j.jfp.2024.100275. Epub 2024 Apr 10. PMID: 38609013.
They note that cyclospora is a small minority of foodborne illness from lettuce. The majority come from classics like norovirus, E coli, campylobacter, salmonella and Shigella, producing endotoxin.
To put it another way, lettuce costs over 5 billion dollars in illness every year.
So while we worry about the poopapocalypse, and the sound of this being a “parasite”, make it more headline worthy than it should be.
Epidemiology and Traceback
The work done to identify the parasite, follow up with those infected, and determine the source of the contamination is nothing short of spectacular. It is better than a Sherlock Holmes drama.
I fear most do not understand the time and effort it took to find that source.
The problem is, there are many other sources out there. One for certain, and perhaps others.
Lettuce Entertain You
If lettuce is an important part of your routine, here are the golden rules for lettuce purchase in the summer:
(1) Buy heads of lettuce, not shredded lettuce. The fewer hands touch it, the less chance you have of contamination.
(b) Remove the outer leaves of the head of lettuce. This is where the contamination is likely to be present. Not all of it, but the majority.
(3) Wash the lettuce in cold water. No vinegar, no vegetable washes, no soda, no magic ionizer. Simple water has proven to be the best in multiple studies.
Yes, I know that bacteria are killed in a lab with combinations of bleach or soap, or whatever. But for the practical cook, washing in cold water is the best
And finally, do not get a lettuce salad from a restaurant.
I love a good Cesar salad, but this summer I will go without. Cesar will return later in the year.
And yes, on the rare time when I buy a burger, I ask for it to be free of the lettuce. I noticed that Taco Bell is advertising lettuce free tacos. Good choice.
What About Farmer’s Markets
They are usually fine. I would ask if they grow their own, and I would still wash their vegetables.
Summer has an increased incidence of foodborne illness. No need to shy away from all foods, but being aware of the ones that cause the most and the season they do is good practice.