The Cyclospora Parasite Infection Turns Deadly – JP

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The “explosive diarrhea” outbreak – caused by a quickly spreading cyclospora parasite infection – has dominated the headlines over the last few weeks. However, up until this week, the cyclospora outbreak had simply been a concerning nuisance. That has changed now, with two Americans dead as a result of the parasite.

Two people in Michigan have died in connection with the outbreak of cyclosporiasis, health officials reported Monday. These are the first known deaths related to the multistate outbreak of explosive diarrhea in the United States.

“Two deaths have been identified as part of the cyclosporiasis outbreak affecting Michigan. According to medical records, both individuals had significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration. No additional information will be provided on these two cases,” according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

While the outbreak has spread all across the country, there are hot spots where infections are skyrocketing. More than 11,000 individuals in Michigan alone have been infected. And Michigan is not the only hot spot – individuals in more than 40 states have been infected, with numbers rising dramatically in states like Illinois and North Carolina, both reporting close to 1,000 cases each.

Detection systems for more common microbes like E. coli or Listeria are quick and reliable, but for cyclospora – only seen occasionally in the U.S. – detection is slower and many labs cannot test for it. Traceability is also hard because lettuce in a bagged salad can come from multiple farms and be mixed in a processing facility.

Writing in his Substack, Dr. McCullough notes:

The CDC has 12,000 employees and a $9 billion budget. The USDA and FDA are supposed to inspect imported produce. None of them caught this before people got sick. None of them got ahead of it after people got sick either.

McCullough’s phrase — “paralysis by analysis” — captures the core problem. These agencies excel at holding meetings and issuing press releases days after the damage is done. What they don’t do is protect Americans in real time.

Dr. McCullough offers specifics on what people can do to stay healthy:

• Wash produce thoroughly – but understand that with leafy greens that absorb water, washing has limits.
• Have treatment on hand. McCullough emphasized that trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim/Septra) shuts this down in about a week instead of a month of misery.
• Optimize your immune system. McCullough recommended immune-support supplements – including The Wellness Company’s Natural Immunity capsules – and daily nasal/throat spray containing xylitol and erythritol to prevent pathogens from colonizing.

Dr. McCullough makes the critical point: “This is not really about lettuce. It’s about a public health infrastructure that spends billions preparing for theoretical biothreats while getting pantsed by a protozoan on a salad bar. The solution is not to stop eating vegetables — it’s to stop outsourcing your health security to agencies that have repeatedly demonstrated they cannot deliver.”

What Is Cyclospora

Cyclospora is a parasite that spreads through raw produce and water contaminated with human feces. The infection, called cyclosporiasis, causes explosive diarrhea, cramps, fatigue, loss of appetite, low-grade fever, and vomiting. These symptoms can last up to a month if untreated. In previous US outbreaks, cyclospora has been linked to raspberries, basil, cilantro, green onions, snow peas, lettuce, mesclun, salad mixes, blackberries, watercress, mangoes, and vegetable trays.

The Treatment

You can follow every food safety practice and still end up infected. The good news is that we know the treatment: 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 time to stock up on medication is when you are healthy. Early intervention means early treatment and a quicker path to recovery. That’s where The Wellness Company comes in.

This medical emergency kit contains an assortment of life-saving prescription medications – including Bactrim, ivermectin, amoxicillin, Z-pak, and others – plus a guidebook for safe use.

• Amoxicillin-Clavulanate (generic Augmentin) 875/125 mg – 28 tablets
• Azithromycin (generic Z-Pak) 250 mg – 12 tablets
• Doxycycline Hyclate 100 mg – 60 capsules
• Metronidazole (generic Flagyl) 500 mg – 30 tablets
• Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole (generic Bactrim) 800/160 mg – 28 tablets
• Ivermectin 12mg – 25 compounded capsules
• Fluconazole (generic Diflucan) 150 mg – 2 tablets
• Ondansetron (generic Zofran) 4mg – 6 tablets
• 1 Emergency Medication Guidebook written by the Chief Medical Board for safe use

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