Even if your diet is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, cyclosporiasis outbreaks are increasing across the country, which may raise concerns about what to eat.
This disease, caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora catenensis, is usually spread through contaminated food and causes unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
Luckily, there are still ways to get your favorite green vegetables, whether by washing properly, cooking or swapping out for frozen or canned options. Here’s what to know.
How to clean your product during cyclosporiasis
To reduce the risk of cyclosporiasis, health officials suggest avoiding pre-washed bagged salads or salad mixes.
Instead, buy a whole head of lettuce, discard the outer layers of leaves and wash the rest thoroughly under running water, separating the leaves as you wash. The same applies to fresh herbs.
For items like green onions, cut off the root end and remove the outer layer and wash thoroughly under running water.
For solid produce like melons and cucumbers, scrub with a clean brush.
Health officials say that in addition to proper cleaning, heating food to 158 degrees or higher kills the parasites. Therefore, for some produced items, you may choose to cook and eat them.
You should wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling or preparing food.
Although previous outbreaks have sometimes been linked to fruits and vegetables, Dr. Tammy Lundstrom, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Trinity Health, says the source of this outbreak has not yet been identified, making it “unclear whether any specific fresh produce is responsible.”
Healthy Alternatives to Fresh Produce
If you’re still wary about reaching for that salad, there are other ways to get fruits and vegetables on your plate: canned and frozen items!
“Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are safe choices,” Dr. Steven Goldberg, a primary and urgent care physician as well as chief medical officer of the infectious disease laboratory HealthtrackRx, told USA TODAY. “The processing involved – blanching, cooking, freezing – effectively eliminates Cyclospora and other parasites.”
Plus, they’re “nutritionally comparable to many items” for people seeking extra reassurance during the outbreak, he said.
And while frozen vegetables don’t seem as nutritious as fresh, registered dietitian Danielle Crumble Smith agrees that “frozen vegetables are a great, very nutrient-dense option.”
“At their peak stage of ripening when all those nutrients are present and preserved, they suddenly freeze,” he told USA TODAY.
Plus, like frozen fruits, you can add frozen vegetables to smoothies or juices to add extra nutrients, Crumble Smith said.
Leslie Bonci, a registered sports dietitian and founder of Active Eating Advice, tells USA TODAY that frozen, canned and even dried fruits and vegetables add up to a healthy diet. No matter what their storage method, these foods still provide fiber, vitamins and other important nutrients, he said.
How concerned should you be about cyclosporiasis?
Although cyclosporiasis can cause severe dehydration when associated with prolonged diarrhea and nausea, it is not considered a life-threatening disease.
Kalmia Nile, a professor of microbial food safety at the University of Delaware, urged people not to panic about the outbreak.
“We see cases every year,” Neal told USA TODAY. “Remember that this is not an organism that results in death, and it can be treated.”
Goldberg agreed that cyclosporiasis is a “real but manageable concern – not a reason to panic.”
However, the latest outbreak raises questions about recent funding cuts to public health. USA TODAY has contacted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration for comment.
“Outbreaks are inevitable, but our ability to catch them early, identify contaminated food, and prevent further disease depends entirely on the public health infrastructure we choose to finance,” Goldberg said.