As Cyclospora cases continue to climb across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, New York, and North Carolina, a physician treating hundreds of patients has provided the most specific produce safety guidance yet published for this outbreak. The core finding: washing fresh produce, while helpful, is not sufficient to eliminate the Cyclospora parasite from certain fruits and vegetables, and consumers need to make different food choices until the outbreak source is identified.
Dr. Brian Kaminski, vice president of medical affairs at ProMedica Health System — which is actively treating patients from the outbreak in Michigan and northwest Ohio — has specifically named raspberries as a high-risk food because of how the parasite physically adheres to the fruit's surface. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has also released a produce-specific guidance document identifying which foods require the most precaution and what to do with each.
