The Cyclosporiasis Outbreak is Sending My Health Anxiety Into Overdrive

A fun fact about me: I have a touch of health anxiety, especially where tummy troubles are concerned. Food poisoning, stomach bugs, and the like — those are things I go far out of my way to avoid. So as you can imagine, the news about a cyclosporiasis outbreak has send me into a bit of a tailspin.

A TL;DR, in case you haven't gone down this rabbit hold like I have. Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by a parasite called cyclospora cayetanensis. The main symptom? "Explosive" diarrhea. Lovely!

It keeps getting better, too. According to the CDC, this infection can last for a few days...or over a month. While cyclosporiasis is endemic in certain parts of the world, it is typically quite rare in the United States. But right now? We're in a moment of outbreak, and I'm seeing headlines about the spread of this parasitic infection pretty much every time I look at screen.

Here's the thing about health anxiety, at least as I've experienced it: You desperately crave information and you practically obsess over digging into it (I supposed the fact that I'm a journalist doesn't help matters here). But in the digital age, all that does is send more information your way...and so it feels like an even bigger issue than it actually is.

What's especially frustrating is that this particular outbreak is making headlines, yet we don't have much information on what's causing it or how to avoid it. Experts say it is often linked to consuming raw produce or contaminated water. But what are we supposed to do, not eat any fruit or veggies until this thing dies down?

Here's what I'm doing — though, to be clear, I don't know if it's the right thing; it's just an approach built around the cobbling together of information I've found. I'm avoiding bagged salad (which, TBH, is something I always do as a paranoid girlie). I'm attempting to get local produce from farmer's markets, I'm trying to do more cooked foods as opposed to salads, I'm being extra cautious about washing produce really thoroughly, and I'm avoiding some of the things that have been linked to previous outbreaks (raspberries, cilantro, basil, to name a few ingredients) unless they are cooked, locally grown, or washed really well at my house.

And that's about it, friends. Hopefully we'll know more soon.