{"id":830556,"date":"2026-07-28T03:25:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T03:25:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/830556\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T03:25:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T03:25:14","slug":"prioritize-buying-local-produce-as-diarrhea-causing-parasite-cases-rise-quebec-health-ministry-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/830556\/","title":{"rendered":"Prioritize buying local produce as diarrhea-causing parasite cases rise, Quebec Health Ministry says"},"content":{"rendered":"

Quebecers are urged to \u201cprioritize buying local fruits and vegetables\u201d as the number of cases stemming from a diarrhea-causing parasite<\/a> continues to rise in the province.<\/p>\n

The recommendation comes as there have been 140 reported cases of cyclosporiasis from May 1 to July 21 in Quebec, according to the most recent data available from the province\u2019s Health Ministry on Monday. The latest number marks \u201can excess compared to 40 cases the previous year for the same period,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven the observed increase in cases, an investigation is underway by the regional public health authorities to document exposures,\u201d the Health Ministry said in a statement, adding it \u201ccontinues to monitor the situation to identify common sources.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cyclosporiasis, which is caused by the parasite cyclospora, can lead to watery or explosive diarrhea, loss of appetite, bloating, cramping, weight loss and fatigue. Infection occurs through consuming water or food that contains cyclospora, with the Health Ministry noting it is \u201cunlikely to spread from person to person.\u201d<\/p>\n

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that while the illness is not usually life-threatening, some people can \u201cbecome very ill and require hospitalization.\u201d Without treatment, it can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks, and symptoms can relapse during that period.<\/p>\n

The higher caseload in Quebec comes as parts of the United States continue to deal with an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, particularly in Michigan. There have been 9,253 reported cases \u2014 including 160 hospitalizations as of July 23 \u2014 in the state as of Monday.<\/p>\n

Michigan\u2019s health authority says its investigation is ongoing, but \u201cavailable information indicates that lettuce or salad greens may be a potential source of this outbreak. However, other food items cannot be completely ruled out. No specific type of produce, grower, or supplier has been identified as the source.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quebec\u2019s rising cyclosporiasis cases don\u2019t appear to be linked to the unfolding situation in the U.S. or Michigan.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to the information we have so far, there are no Quebec cases associated with the current outbreak in the United States,\u201d a ministry spokesperson said in an emailed response Monday to The Gazette.<\/p>\n

\t\tEditor\u2019s Picks\t<\/p>\n

Opt for local fruits and veggies, and thoroughly wash produce<\/p>\n

Cyclosporiasis is \u201cprimarily acquired through travel, mainly to Mexico for the 2026 season,\u201d according to Quebec\u2019s Health Ministry.<\/p>\n

But it can also be \u201cacquired in Canada by consuming fresh produce (fruits, vegetables and herbs) from countries where the parasite is more prevalent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cQuebec\u2019s climate is less conducive to sustained environmental transmission than that of tropical and subtropical regions,\u201d the ministry added.<\/p>\n

There tends to be a \u201cseasonal increase\u201d in cyclosporiasis cases between early May and late August in Quebec each year, health authorities said. This is also the case in countries where the parasite is more common and and upticks are \u201cdocumented during the same period due to the rainy season.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Health Ministry outlined a list of preventive measures to reduce the risk of contracting cyclosporiasis \u201cboth while travelling and elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aside from recommending prioritizing \u201cbuying local fruits and vegetables\u201d in Quebec, it also says people should wash their produce thoroughly.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, some shoppers in Montreal told The Gazette they had already turned to local produce<\/a> amid reports that cyclospora had sickened thousands in the U.S.<\/p>\n

Other suggestions include using safe drinking water and to be \u201cespecially careful when travelling to tropical or subtropical regions where the parasite is more common.\u201d <\/p>\n

klaframboise@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Quebecers are urged to \u201cprioritize buying local fruits and vegetables\u201d as the number of cases stemming from a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":830557,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[194292],"tags":[49,48,2338],"class_list":["post-830556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-montreal","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-montreal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/830556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=830556"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/830556\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/830557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=830556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=830556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=830556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}