SALT LAKE CITY — It may be tiny, not even visible to the naked eye, but it can cause some big problems.
According to Utah Department of Health and Human Services epidemiologist BreAnne Osborn, Utah had cases of Cyclospora, but that patient was included in the count before the current outbreak that took hold of Michigan with 4,300 cases and counting.
“There is no increased risk of cyclospora here in Utah at this time,” said Osborn. “Since then, we have identified a few Utahns who traveled to other U.S. states so they would also be included in those numbers, but we don’t have any indication that there is an outbreak going on here."
Health experts like University of Utah's Dr. Maria Alejandra Mendoza said that while the infection is spreading via produce, Cyclospora is not your garden-variety stomach bug or food poisoning.
“Once it gets to the body is when it starts causing gastrointestinal issues, maybe like nausea, vomiting, but the main one that everyone is concerned about and the main symptom is diarrhea,” said Mendoza.
Once it has infected a person, it does not spread to another person. From there, specific tests can confirm if a patient has Cyclospora and needs antibiotics.
“If it lasts multiple days, if it’s protractive, if you think that it’s lasting more than one or two days, maybe that’s the time to seek clean-cut care either with your primary care provider or the ER,” said Mendoza.
Remember, before you hit the fast-food line or grab those groceries: consume with caution. Food must be cooked to kill Cyclospora.
