Tips for avoiding the cyclosporiasis parasite | FOX 13 Seattle

[00:00:00]Health officials are tracking a microscopic parasite that's causing painful intestinal illness. We're talking about Cyclosporiasis, the outbreak sweeping the nation. Cases have been reported in over 30 states and has sickened thousands of people. While local risk in Washington still remains low, health officials are urging people to stay informed and avoid certain food.

[00:00:22]Today I spoke with Dr. Louise Tatum, an infectious disease specialist with Providence Swedish to get the facts.

[00:00:28]Well, let's get right into it. What is Cyclosporiasis and how are people getting sick from this?

[00:00:35]>> So, Cyclosporiasis is basically a microscopic parasite. That means that you cannot see it through the naked eye.

[00:00:41]Uh and it's a parasite that uh lives in the soil, basically, and it can cause an infection called uh enteritis, so inflammation of the extensive intestines. And with that, it will cause a severe diarrhea.

[00:00:55]Uh the difference between uh the diarrhea that we commonly see uh with other bacterias and viruses is that this diarrhea is chronic. It remains uh there for a long time, and if it's not treated, it can go on for weeks and weeks.

[00:01:09]>> So, Dr. Tatum, if someone were to get Cyclosporiasis, how should it be treated? Should they just wait it out?

[00:01:15]Should they get something over the counter?

[00:01:18]>> So, yeah, that's a good question. Um you know, we right now the FDA and the CDC recommends to treatment for everybody that has Cyclosporiasis. It's definitely a disease that can be self-limited, but uh most of the time will cause a diarrhea that will go on and on and on for a long time. So, in order to improve symptoms and get better faster, it's recommended to get treatment. The treatment is basically with a very old antibiotic called trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.

[00:01:48]The trade name of that antibiotic is called Bactrim in the US or Septra in in other countries. And you take one pill twice a day um depending on on your condition. Of course, the dosing and everything else should be discussed with your health care provider.

[00:02:03]>> What can we do to prepare ourselves at home? What can we do to reduce our risks?

[00:02:08]>> What we can do right now to try to avoid the risk is try to avoid avoid the recalled product. The recalled product that the CDC and the FDA have recommended to avoid is the iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms, the Mexico.

[00:02:22]So, if you just avoid that recalled product, you're doing the best you can do to avoid this cyclosporiasis.

[00:02:31]Then, what we can do we can also, instead of having produce eating from but buy products from from from that from Mexico, whatever, at this time to decrease the risk a little, we can buy products from our local farmers market, for example.

[00:02:46]So, products that are you know who harvest it in your local farmers market will likely be absolutely safe from cyclosporiasis at this standpoint. And always always keep the standard precautions, right?

[00:03:00]Wash your fruit and vegetables. Make sure that you're washing your hands.

[00:03:04]Make sure that you're preparing your food with appropriate hygiene. Another thing is that cyclosporiasis do not does not spread from person to person, so you don't have to panic if somebody in your house or your friends have cyclosporiasis. You're not going to get cyclosporiasis from your friends because the parasite needs to have the life cycle the parasite needs to go to the soil and mature there before it can become infective and have the capacity to infect another human being. So, you don't have to stigmatize a person that has cyclosporiasis for to say.

[00:03:35]>> Dr. Tatum says other symptoms to watch out for include abdominal bloating, fatigue, dehydration, and dizziness.