Cyclosporiasis case in Fresno County not linked to outbreak, officials say

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno County health officials have confirmed the county's first case of cyclosporiasis this year, while emphasizing that the local infection is not linked to recent outbreaks reported elsewhere in the country.

Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal disease caused by a parasite, according to Dr. Trinidad Solis of the Fresno County Department of Public Health.

"Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal disease that is caused by a parasite," Solis said.

Health officials say the parasite can cause severe diarrhea. Nationwide, cases have been increasing in states including Michigan. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have previously linked outbreaks to imported contaminated produce, including raspberries, lettuce, and cilantro.

On Thursday, health officials tied outbreaks to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied from Mexico and served at Taco Bell locations in the Midwest. Fresno County officials said the local case is not connected to any of those outbreaks.

RELATED: Cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to shredded lettuce served at some Taco Bell locations: Source

Some shoppers said they are paying closer attention to food safety amid uncertainty surrounding the reported cases.

"What's going on? You're so used to eating that type of stuff that you don't want to stop, but you have to," grocery shopper Tiffany said.

Local businesses are also taking precautions. Bake It Mine, a small cake truck in northwest Fresno, said it has removed all raspberry dishes from its menu out of an abundance of caution while continuing to offer other berry options.

"We want everybody to be safe. We love our customers. We want everybody to be safe. We want them to continue enjoying our products, so we are making a substitution. We are going above and beyond with the sanitation," said Angelica Salas of Bake It Mine.

At this time, the Fresno County Department of Public Health is not advising residents to avoid any specific produce. Instead, officials are encouraging people to take preventive measures when handling fruits and vegetables.

"We are recommending washing fruits and vegetables under running water. Even if it's in a package bag, we're still recommending washing that," Solis said.

Solis said the disease is uncommon in Fresno County, but health officials are closely monitoring the situation for any increase in cases.

"This parasite infection is pretty rare here in Fresno County. It's a situation that's evolving, and we're working with state and federal partners on this," Solis added.

While this parasite is rare, it's not new. Last year, the county saw one confirmed case.

Dr. Solis tells me this illness is treatable with antibiotics.

Taco Bell has issued a statement saying, "Taco Bell has taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states. The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states."

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