JACKSON, Wyo. — Teton County Health Department (TCHD) notified the community on Sunday that the “explosive diarrhea” parasite has reached Wyoming, and urges residents to take necessary precautions to avoid contracting the illness.
The disease, called cyclosporiasis, is contracted by eating contaminated fresh produce. While difficult to catch from another person, it is still worth being careful, as symptoms can last for a month or more without treatment “and love to come and go in cycles,” TCHD wrote in an Instagram post.
Symptoms of cyclosporiasis include severe diarrhea, abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, fatigue and weight loss. The outbreaks in the U.S. are commonly associated with imported fresh produce.
To stay healthy and safe, residents are encouraged to wash all produce thoroughly and cook it to 158°F when possible. When buying whole heads of lettuce, throw away the outer two or three layers before washing.
In an Instagram post, TCHD advised the community to “limit foods linked to these outbreaks like leafy greens and bagged salads, fresh herbs like basil and cilantro, raspberries, snow peas, and green onions.”
No foods have been recalled as of yet. According to TCHD, the reason no recalls have been issued is that symptoms can take up to two weeks to appear, and most infected people have difficulty remembering what they ate. “The best way to protect yourself is by choosing locally grown items when possible or cooking fresh produce,” TCHD shared in an Instagram post.
