IS YOUR LETTUCE SAFE TO EAT? IS ANY OF YOUR PRODUCE SAFE?
For decades, Americans have been reminded to “eat their greens” as part of a healthy diet, for many Americans “eating your greens” now comes with the bizarre concern, “is this safe?”
The reason for safety concerns over lettuce and many other produce items is simple – cyclospora, a parasite that has been spreading like wildfire across the country over the last few weeks.
Cyclospora is a parasite that spreads through raw produce and water that has been contaminated with human feces. The infection caused by the parasite, called cyclosporiasis, is responsible for what a variety of symptoms, including what is being referred to as “explosive diarrhea” in addition to cramps, fatigue, loss of appetite, low-grade fever and vomiting.
As the number of infections sky-rocketed, public health officials at the federal and local level were unable to determine the source of the outbreak.
In previous US outbreaks, cyclospora has been linked to fresh produce, including raspberries, basil, cilantro, green onions, snow peas, lettuce, mesclun and salad mixes. Research has also connected past outbreaks to blackberries, watercress, mangoes and even vegetable trays.
Michigan health officials, where the number of parasitic infections has been the highest, began suspecting that the culprit was lettuce produced in Mexico.
Then federal health officials seemingly confirmed the suspicions about Mexican lettuce as the source after notifying the public that lettuce produced in Mexico by Taylor Farms, which was distributed all over the US including to the Taco Bell food chain, had tested positive for cyclospora.
The relief over determining the source of the parasitic infections barely lasted 24 hours, before the FDA announced it was wrong.
The source of the Cyclospora illness outbreak remains unknown, after the Food and Drug Administration announced Sunday that a previous test identifying the parasite in a sample of lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico was not actually contaminated with Cyclospora.
The agency reviewed the results and said in a statement it “concluded that the finding does not represent true amplification and should be considered a false positive.”
While the FDA said the test produced a false positive, they also said that they still believe that the lettuce may be responsible for the outbreak.
So is your lettuce safe? Is any of the produce in your home – particularly any that originated in Mexico – safe?
Amazingly enough, none of our public health officials can answer this question.
Many Americans are now asking what they can do to avoid this parasite:
Officials recommend following proper food safety practices when preparing meals.
Experts also say some foods appear to pose much less risk.
“To date, no commercially frozen produce, cooked foods or peeled fruit have been associated with cyclosporiasis infection,” one study cited by WPIX found.
The CDC advises washing hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the bathroom and before preparing food. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not kill cyclospora.
The Treatment
You can try to avoid every single food linked to cyclospora, you can follow all the proper food safety practices, and you can still end up with the infection!
What do you do to keep your family safe and healthy?
The good news is that while the cause of this outbreak is unknown, we do know what the treatment is – trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole – more commonly known as Bactrim.
Bactrim not only treats cyclospora infections but is the recommended treatment for a range of other GI and bacterial infections.
Don’t Wait Until You are Sick
The best time to stock up on medications is before you get sick. Early access to the medications you need allows for prompt treatment to speed up recovery and help reduce visits to urgent care or the emergency room.
How do you stock up on Bactrim? That’s where The Wellness Company comes in!
The Medical Emergency Kit contains an assortment of life-saving prescription medications, including Bactrim, Ivermectin, Amoxicillin, Z-pak and more. The Medical Emergency Kit includes a guidebook to aid in the safe use of these life-saving medications.
This physician-prescribed kit is not available over the counter or at your local pharmacy. After completing your purchase, you’ll fill out a brief medical questionnaire. A licensed physician from The Wellness Company will review your information and prescribe your Medical Emergency Kit.
The Wellness Company Medical Emergency Kit includes:
- Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (generic Bactrim) — 28 tablets
- Amoxicillin-Clavulanate (generic Augmentin) — 28 tablets
- Azithromycin (generic Z-Pak) — 12 tablets
- Doxycycline Hyclate — 60 capsules
- Metronidazole (generic Flagyl) — 30 tablets
- Ivermectin — 25 compounded capsules
- Fluconazole (generic Diflucan) — 2 tablets
- Ondansetron (generic Zofran) — 6 tablets
- Emergency Medication Guidebook written by The Wellness Company’s Chief Medical Board with instructions for safe use
What people are saying about the Medical Emergency Kit:
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