A parasite outbreak has sickened thousands. Should Californians avoid raw produce? 26%
By Catherine Ho26%
7/17/2026, 12:38:53 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 26 faulty reasoning types, including Indoctrination, Post Hoc (False Cause), and Optimism Bias, with Appeal to Authority as the most egregious example at 20% saturation with 217 hits. Analysis detected 1,657 faulty-reasoning hits from 1,085 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 37.9% and a BS Rank of 26% (15,734 of 21,168 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 74.30% of the article peer group.
Should Californians stop eating salad or other raw vegetables because of the major cyclosporiasis outbreak in the Midwest?
Bay Area experts interviewed by the Chronicle said they’re not taking that step, because the risk of contracting the gastrointestinal illness is low in California — but for people who are concerned, there are a number of things they can do to reduce the risk of contracting the disease.
Cyclosporiasis is caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which spreads through human fecal matter and can get onto fruits and vegetables if irrigation systems used for watering crops get contaminated by sewage.
The most common symptom is severe diarrhea.
The current outbreak of cyclosporiasis has sickened thousands, mostly in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky.
Health officials are still trying to pinpoint the source of this outbreak, which could be one or multiple sources.
The investigation can take a long time because it relies on asking people what they ate during the incubation period — which can be up to two weeks.
On Thursday, investigators identified shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell by Salinas-based Taylor Farms as a potential source of contamination, according to The Washington Post.
Cyclosporiasis is not a new disease, and states including California report anywhere from a few dozen to a few hundred cases each year.
Cyclospora is a seasonal pathogen; cases tend to rise in the summer because heat can activate it and make it sporulate.
In the U.S., previous outbreaks have been linked to lettuce, cabbage, raspberries, cilantro and scallions — these items tend to have crevices and cracks that house contaminated soil and can be hard to wash off completely.
Cyclosporiasis does not spread easily from person to person, unlike more well-known gastrointestinal illnesses like norovirus.
Cooking kills the parasite; washing raw produce doesn’t completely eliminate the risk, but reduces it.
We interviewed two Bay Area infectious disease experts about whether — and how — Californians should rethink the way they shop for, prepare or eat produce in light of the outbreak.
Both said they are not personally changing their own habits beyond washing raw produce before eating it, which they would normally do anyway.
“It’s a reminder to wash fruit before eating it, but I am not cooking all fruits and vegetables,” said Dr.
Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF.
“I haven’t stopped eating salad.
That’s because the risk in California is relatively low, it’s the peak time of summer, and I love fruits and vegetables, and even in the small chance I get it, I could be treated with antibiotics.”
The outbreak appears to be concentrated in the four states with the vast majority of cases, and the risk to people in states like California should be no higher than it normally is at baseline.
“Right now, it suggests that whatever supply was contaminated was not distributed across the U.S., it was distributed to a number of states,” said Dr.
John Openshaw, an infectious disease physician at Stanford.
California is not seeing a rise in cyclosporiasis cases.
The state has reported 41 provisional cases so far in 2026, which is fewer than the 80 reported as of this point last year.
There are no known local outbreaks, and most cases are acquired during travel outside the state.
Of the four cases reported between May and June, two people had recently traveled to the Midwest.
“Whatever’s caused this infection, it doesn’t appear to be increasing cases in California,” Openshaw said.
“So I wouldn’t suggest people need to change their behavior.”
Openshaw said he does not plan to stop eating raw produce, and does not feel the need to take any precautions beyond regularly washing it before he eats it.
Some groups, including the very young and the very old, may be at higher risk of complications, like dehydration from diarrhea.
People who are immunocompromised may also be at higher risk of developing complications like chronic diarrhea, Chin-Hong said.
Here is their advice for what Californians can do to lower their risk of getting cyclosporiasis, depending on their personal risk tolerance:
For those who aren’t very concerned
Experts said it’s safe for Californians to continue eating raw produce.
Follow food safety practices like carefully washing raw produce under running water.
If it’s a leafy green, separate the leaves so you can wash all surfaces.
And if you’re preparing raw herbs, cut off the ends that tend to have dirt on them.
Wash your hands, and use clean knives and cutting boards.
“This is low risk,” Openshaw said.
“People shouldn’t be not eating salad, or not eating produce.
By all means, go and enjoy fresh produce.
If you bought that bagged salad in California, I doubt very much it’s going to be contaminated,” he said.
For those who are moderately concerned
You can temporarily limit your consumption of raw fruits and vegetables to items with peels or rinds you can easily remove — like bananas, oranges and melons — or to smooth fruits with surfaces that are easier to wash thoroughly, like stone fruit.
You can also use a vinegar solution when washing produce, which “reduces the risk a little more than fresh running water — but it’s not a ton more,” Chin-Hong said.
There is no evidence that chemical fruit and vegetable washing solutions are more effective than water, Openshaw said.
“I wouldn’t recommend people go out and get chemical washes at this point,” he said.
“A good water wash is probably just as effective as doing that.”
You can also peel off the outer layers of greens like lettuce and cabbage.
You can also cut out packaged salad mixes — this is because you can’t take off the outer layers, and because if they’ve been pre-washed, that could mean more exposure to potentially contaminated water sources.
“If I was traveling to Michigan or Ohio, I’d probably be more on the worried end because they still haven’t found the source,” Chin-Hong said.
“If I’m staying in California, I have the usual risk.”
For those who are very concerned/risk-averse
Eating cooked or canned vegetables is the best way to lower risk because most cooking methods, including boiling, sautéing and stir-frying, kill the parasite.
“If you really want zero risk, you can cook your food,” Chin-Hong said.
The canning process also kills the parasite, he said.
Eating frozen produce will also reduce your risk because many frozen fruits and vegetables are blanched first in hot water before they’re frozen.
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