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Pearson A passenger waits beside their luggage at the departure terminal at Toronto Pearson Airport, in Mississauga, Ont., Friday, May 24, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Chris Young <\/p>\nCanadians travelling to the United States should take precautions with food, but there\u2019s no need to panic over an outbreak of the diarrhea-causing illness cyclosporiasis, says an infectious diseases physician. <\/p>\n
\u201cCanadians should be aware, but not alarmed,\u201d Dr. Donald Vinh, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at McGill University in Montreal, told CTV News Channel on Thursday. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe purpose is not to discourage travel, and it is not to discourage healthy consumption of fruits and vegetables. It\u2019s to help people reduce avoidable exposures.\u201d <\/p>\n
Pearson A passenger waits beside their luggage at the departure terminal at Toronto Pearson Airport, in Mississauga, Ont., Friday, May 24, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Chris Young <\/p>\n
Vinh says travellers should be vigilant when it comes to food and water, and watch for symptoms that would trigger medical attention. <\/p>\n
Vinh made the remarks in response to the federal government recently updating its U.S. travel advisory with a health warning for cyclosporiasis. Thousands of suspected infections in numerous U.S. states have been tied to tainted lettuce. <\/p>\n
A few dozen cases were reported in Canada<\/a> this year, but health officials aren\u2019t monitoring domestic outbreaks. <\/p>\n Most stomach viral infections typically go away after a few days, Vinh said, but if diarrhea lasts more than a week, seek medical care.<\/p>\n Cyclosporiasis may also return, even if it first appears that someone has recovered from it, he added.<\/p>\n Dr. Gerald Evans, a professor at Queen\u2019s University and a physician in infectious diseases at Kingston Health Sciences Centre, said despite U.S. reports of tainted lettuce, the source of the outbreak still hasn\u2019t been confirmed<\/a>, and the outbreak highlights a larger concern about food safety.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is really, I think, unfortunately an example of what happens when you drastically cut back food inspection and surveillance networks,\u201d Evans told CTV News Channel in an interview on Thursday, referring to the cuts by the U.S. government affecting food safety measures. <\/p>\n The Trump administration eliminated about 20,000 jobs from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Reuters reported in May 2025<\/a>. <\/p>\n Those departments perform key roles in food safety, with the FDA regulating most of the U.S. food supply, and the CDC helping to investigate foodborne-illness outbreaks. <\/p>\n The cuts resulted in suspending several FDA quality control programs, including for vegetables and cheese, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n Before the cutbacks, Evans said the U.S. had a \u201cvery strong surveillance network\u201d for cyclosporiasis and other gastrointestinal illnesses.<\/p>\n But now, Evans said Canada has a better food safety system than its southern neighbour.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/PPIQXQIV3FCKRMAAS7HMOODSIA.jpg\")
Lettuce is on display at the Jean Talon Market Monday, January 11, 2016 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Paul Chiasson Lettuce is on display at the Jean Talon Market Monday, January 11, 2016 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Paul Chiasson U.S. cuts impact food safety: doctor<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ULJD3EROVXMUHZL7TZTD7DJ5ZU.jpg\")
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration campus in Silver Spring, Md., is photographed on Oct. 14, 2015. (AP Photo\/Andrew Harnik, File) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration campus in Silver Spring, Md., is photographed on Oct. 14, 2015. (AP Photo\/Andrew Harnik, File) <\/p>\n