You might have never heard of cyclospora until recently as this food poisoning that you can get from fresh produce has started to spread around the nation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cyclospora has sickened more than 285 people in 11 states this year, which is one of the largest outbreaks ever reported. In Texas alone there have been 66 cases of it.
Although the source of the recent food poisoning outbreak is still unknown, it appears that the contaminated food was eaten in mid-June. The number of cases is decreasing, and officials assume it’s because the contaminated produce has been used or discarded by this point.
Cyclospora are single-celled parasites that mostly live in tropical environments. When you swallow the parasite, it becomes active in your body and causes uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms: watery diarrhea for extended periods of time, weight loss, bloating, fatigue and some vomiting that can last for days to weeks.
Cyclospora is usually spread by farmworkers who get sick in the fields near fruits and vegetables, or they go to the bathroom, and they don’t wash their hands properly. Then they transfer the parasite onto the produce.
To prevent cyclospora, it’s important to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, and dry them with a paper towel to wipe off any residue since cyclospora can be sticky and hard to wash off produce.
If you or a loved one have experienced any of the symptoms of cyclospora, or any other type of food poisoning, you deserve compensation for your physical and emotional trauma. Contact the experienced Texas food poisoning attorneys at the Law Offices of W.T. Johnson today and set-up your free, no-obligation consultation.
