Norton warns parasitic infection causing ‘explosive’ diarrhea is on the rise in Kentucky
Cyclospore is *** parasite. It is all over the environment. It’s primarily found in soil, fruits, and vegetables. Uh, it peaks, uh, during the summertime, uh, when people are eating more fruits and vegetables. And what happens is there’s *** parasite in those items that gets into your body. It adheres to your gut, and matures, and then it causes *** very intense watery diarrhea. Most people resolve it on their own. Some can get awfully sick and need antibiotics to clear it. There are multiple different organisms that can cause *** diarrheal illness, norovirus, salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, and also Cyclospora. What makes Cyclospora different is that it causes an explosive diarrhea. The other organisms have different features. It could be fever, it could be bloody diarrhea, or other. But Cyclospora primarily is an explosive diarrhea. For most people, it lasts days, not weeks. For most people, they clear it on their own with just supportive care, meaning rest and hydration. But some individuals for whom it’s persistent or intense need antibiotics to clear it. I would say that if your diarrhea is not intense, it’s short duration and not associated with lightheadedness, fever, The inability to take in fluids, you’re probably OK self-managing. If you have fever, persistent nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, are unable to keep up with your fluids. If you’re very young, if you’re old, if you have medical problems, and it’s persisting, those are people that would benefit from an office evaluation. At the office, they’re able to do testing such as we have right in our lab. And they take *** swab of the diarrhea, send it to our lab, and we can see if the organism is present. Common fruits and vegetables that cyclospore is found in include cilantro, basil, leafy greens, lettuce, salad mixes, spinach, uh, raspberries, blueberries. And what’s *** feature of all of those items is they have rough irregular surfaces. So they’re very difficult to fully clean. That’s the biggest challenge. That’s the biggest opportunity to reduce the risk of getting this infection. Well, people should not use things like bleach or other to clean surfaces. What they need to do is do other than just apply running water. They need some physical contacts against the food items themselves to clean the surfaces. So washing very well with clean water and then manually cleaning the fruit or vegetables generally will prevent the transmission. It’s not clear if it’s coming from farms. It’s not clear if there are other sources involved. But again, the general approach of washing it vigorously with water and then manually cleaning the food items is the best strategy that we have. There’s also not human to human transmission. The way this spreads is from *** person having diarrhea and some of that material getting into either food prep or food service. That’s the way it can transmit. Um, in general, the, the therapy is to rest and keep up with your fluids. You wanna be very selective you’re, you’re using over the counter medication, medication that slows the diarrhea. You don’t want to retain um the parasite in your system. That’s the caution about using such medicines.
Norton warns parasitic infection causing ‘explosive’ diarrhea is on the rise in Kentucky
Updated: 7:14 PM EDT Jul 8, 2026
Beware, Kentuckiana. A parasite causing “explosive diarrhea” across the country is on the rise in the region.In the player up top: Doctor talks about the parasite behind the infectionCases of cyclosporiasis have been rising in several states, and according to Norton Healthcare, that now includes Kentucky. Cyclosporiasis is a parasitic infection and form of food poisoning that causes severe diarrhea and other gastrointestinal issues.In the past two weeks, Norton Healthcare says it has diagnosed 10 cases in adult patients. They said none of them required hospitalization. Similar illnesses have been reported in at least 28 other states in recent months.Experts say this isn’t a new threat. The parasite tends to contaminate raw fruits and vegetables, like berries and salad greens, every summer. But some states are seeing abnormally high numbers. According to CBS News, in Michigan, health officials say the state’s outbreak has reached nearly 1,000 cases in about two weeks. Illinois has reported 141 cases, and New York said last week there have been dozens of cases since May. The source of the outbreak has not been identified. There is no evidence that it spreads person to person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend several ways to prevent getting the infection:Wash your hands before and after handling or preparing raw fruits and vegetablesWash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating, cutting, or cookingRefrigerate cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables within two hours or as soon as possibleAccording to the CDC, those who become infected can be sick for anywhere from two days to two weeks or more. Officials say people traveling or living in subtropical regions may be at an increased risk for infection.If you are experiencing symptoms, contact your healthcare provider.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —
Beware, Kentuckiana. A parasite causing “explosive diarrhea” across the country is on the rise in the region.
In the player up top: Doctor talks about the parasite behind the infection
Cases of cyclosporiasis have been rising in several states, and according to Norton Healthcare, that now includes Kentucky.
Cyclosporiasis is a parasitic infection and form of food poisoning that causes severe diarrhea and other gastrointestinal issues.
In the past two weeks, Norton Healthcare says it has diagnosed 10 cases in adult patients. They said none of them required hospitalization.
Similar illnesses have been reported in at least 28 other states in recent months.
Experts say this isn’t a new threat. The parasite tends to contaminate raw fruits and vegetables, like berries and salad greens, every summer. But some states are seeing abnormally high numbers.
According to CBS News, in Michigan, health officials say the state’s outbreak has reached nearly 1,000 cases in about two weeks. Illinois has reported 141 cases, and New York said last week there have been dozens of cases since May.
The source of the outbreak has not been identified.
There is no evidence that it spreads person to person.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend several ways to prevent getting the infection:
- Wash your hands before and after handling or preparing raw fruits and vegetables
- Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating, cutting, or cooking
- Refrigerate cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables within two hours or as soon as possible
According to the CDC, those who become infected can be sick for anywhere from two days to two weeks or more.
Officials say people traveling or living in subtropical regions may be at an increased risk for infection.
If you are experiencing symptoms, contact your healthcare provider.