The parasite that emptied lettuce bins at Taco Bell cannot be passed from one person to the next.
Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic parasite spread only by swallowing contaminated food or water, according to the CDC. The parasite must sit in a warm, moist spot for one to two weeks to mature. That is why it rarely spreads person to person. Rinsing produce does not reliably remove it. Freezing does not kill it; cooking heat does.
Watery diarrhea, cramps, nausea and fatigue show up about a week after exposure, according to the CDC. The treatment is one specific antibiotic, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
