Cyclosporiasis is caused by a parasite, and symptoms include severe diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps. It's transmitted through contaminated food, usually fruits and vegetables. The CDC has linked the outbreak to a farm in Mexico. Shredded lettuce sold by Taylor Farms and used in Taco Bell products was tracked across five northeastern states.
State Epidemiologist Dr Renia Dotson said Mississippi is now tracking the disease, but those cases haven't yet been linked to the national outbreak.
“People can become infected simply by consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite. It is not transmitted from person to person,” said Dr. Dotson. "If someone in your house has it, don’t expect it to go through your household like a norovirus would because it’s not spread that way.”
Cases confirmed so far in the state were identified along the Coast, Pine Belt, and the Delta.
Mississippi was one of three states not tracking Cyclosporiasis cases prior to the national outbreak, so there is no data about how common the disease was in previous years.
Dr. Dotson said her office is working with medical labs across the state to reassess data from the past year to better understand the trends of the disease. She said, "Then we can make some comparisons between what it looks like now and what we’ve had historically. So we can’t really say this is a big jump for us because we don’t know what normal is for us at this point, but we are definitely working on trying to get some more information about what that looks like.”
Those diagnosed with Cyclosporiasis can be prescribed antibiotics to treat the illness.
Symptoms can begin as early as two days after exposure, and up to two weeks after exposure, according to the Department of Health. Without treatment, it can take around one month for symptoms to fully subside.
While not life-threatening, the disease can cause dehydration. Dr. Dotson says those most at risk would be infants, the elderly, and anyone with pre-existing conditions.
To prevent contracting the parasite, wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly with a brush under running water before eating. Cooking does kill the parasite. Since washing alone cannot guarantee Cyclospora removal, cook produce to a temperature of at least 158 °F (70°C).
Taylor Farms, the company that has been identified as the source of the outbreak, has announced it is removing all iceberg lettuce from U.S. markets.
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