NEWSWEEK – North Carolina health officials are investigating the source of an outbreak of intestinal parasites after 135 cases have been identified in Wake County since the start of May.
Roughly 22 of these cases are believed to be connected to three local restaurants. However, inspections of the implicated premises were inconclusive.
“We are currently investigating all individuals that have been reported and continue to look for similarities in food trends,” Arevik Badalyan-Drewek, a spokesperson for the Wake County Government, told Newsweek.
“[However, the parasite is] most attributed to produce and herbs exposed to contamination during growing and packaging which is transmitted to individuals through consumption of food.”
The culprit at the center of these outbreaks is a microscopic, gut-infecting parasite called Cyclospora cayetanensis.
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The parasite is passed on through the feces of infected individuals, mostly via contaminated food and water.
Once inside, it attacks the small intestine, resulting in an illness known as cyclosporiasis.
Not everyone who gets infected with Cyclospora will develop symptoms, but those who do usually experience watery diarrhea with frequent (and often “explosive”) bowel movements …