A microscopic organism, Cyclospora, is currently making thousands of people sick across the United States hiding in produce.
“There’s a real risk it could show up on your dinner table tomorrow night,” said U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer in a news conference Monday. “Here in New Jersey, our Department of Health has logged 46 cases, and the number of cases is still climbing.”
St. Luke’s University Health Network told us it’s in Pennsylvania as well.
“In the State of Pennsylvania, however, the Department of Health has reported 28 cases,” said Dr. Vaishali Patel.
Bucks County confirmed to 69 News it has five of those cases right now, and Dr. Patel said, if you unknowingly eat Cyclospora, the symptoms aren’t pretty.
“It’s sort of commonly described as being explosive diarrhea, meaning that it’s typically quite watery and pretty significant,” said Dr. Patel.
More than 100 people have been hospitalized as a result of those symptoms, and Rep. Gottheimer said he’s now directly blaming the Trump Administration.
“The team that actually tracks this stuff was cut by 70 percent under this administration,” said Rep. Gottheimer.
Gottheimer said he’s introducing legislation to prevent cuts like those in the future, but Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. defended those cuts in a news conference of his own Tuesday.
“We did cuts in the food net program, but they were for redundant surveillance, and all the states will tell you that. We’re still doing forensics, we’re still doing surveillance in all the states,” said Sec. Kennedy.
At this time, the Federal Government still has not identified a source of the outbreak. So, Dr. Patel said wash all produce thoroughly, and if you think you ate the parasite, talk to a doctor.
“If you’re having prolonged symptoms, seek medical evaluation so that you can actually be tested for it,” said Dr. Patel.