A growing nationwide outbreak of cyclospora continues to raise alarm among scientists and public health officials who point to sewage contamination in the food supply as the likely cause.
The outbreak has sickened more than 22,000 people in the U.S. and contributed to the deaths of two in Michigan. This is not the first nationwide outbreak of the parasite, as 30 years ago imported raspberries from Guatemala were associated with outbreaks in 1996 and 1997.
Joan Rose is the Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research at Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources where she also directs the MSU Water Alliance. Her research explores advanced ways to detect and monitor pathogens in water, track their sources and improve water treatment processes.
Here, Rose provides insights into cyclospora, including how it can contaminate fresh produce, how it can enter our food supply and how challenging it can be to mitigate.