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Food influencer Christina Hart contracted cyclosporiasis in July and lost 17 pounds, she said
The gastrointestinal illness, caused by a microscopic parasite, has been linked to contaminated produce, with over 18,000 cases across 45 states and two deaths
Due to the illness, Hart couldn’t continue her work, explaining, “It stopped my whole life”
Food influencer Christina Hart says she is one of thousands of Americans who have contracted cyclosporiasis.
The Tennessee-based influencer, 29, woke up one morning and ran to the bathroom, she told WSMV. “It happened every 30 minutes, every 30 minutes for the first week.”
Then, after the mother of two headed to the doctor, she announced on July 14 that she had cyclosporiasis. “#Cyclospora has officially entered the chat,” she wrote on Facebook, adding a photo of herself in bed.
“I wasn’t ever in a million years thinking I had a darn parasite,” Hart told The New York Times in an interview published on Saturday, July 31. In the four weeks since her diagnosis, she has lost 17 lbs., she told the outlet.
Christina Hart
Credit: Christina Hart/Facebook
The gastrointestinal disease is caused by a microscopic parasite called Cyclospora, and researchers are still working to determine the source of the outbreak. The food- and waterborne illness, which is known to cause “explosive” diarrhea, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously said. There are over 18,000 confirmed or suspected cases across 45 states.
Two people in Michigan have died, and both had pre-existing conditions, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said on Monday, Aug. 3.
“Cyclosporiasis is generally not a life-threatening illness. Death resulting from cyclosporiasis is uncommon in the United States,” a representative for the MDHHS told PEOPLE.
The parasite has been linked to lettuce and fresh produce, including raspberries, which she habitually ate each morning. Hart told WSMV she’s not sure what the cause was, saying, “And obviously doing food reviews locally, I’m always eating. Food is a big part of my life.”
Symptoms can take up to 14 days to emerge, making it more difficult to pinpoint the culprit.
The food influencer felt the diagnosis was a setback. “It stopped my whole life,” Hart told WSMV. “I had to push back episodes. I had to stop working; it’s been rough.”
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“It just makes you question: Is this what I’m supposed to do? Am I imagining it? Was this a sign that I’m supposed to stop?” she told The New York Times. “I’ve done so many things in my life that have failed.”
However, her followers persuaded her to continue posting, this time about navigating cyclosporiasis. While her symptoms “are still lingering,” she confirmed they are “not as intense,” per WSMV.
“This whole cyclospora thing — I thought it was actually a curse, but it ended up being a blessing,” she told The New York Times. “If poop is what lands me there. I guess that’s what lands me there.”
Read the original article on People