if youre in the US (especially the northeast + michigan) i would avoid bagged salads/greens and generally wash your produce very thoroughly unless you want the diarrhea parasite
Michigan is experiencing its largest outbreak of a parasitic infection that causes severe diarrhea. Nearly 1,000 people have been diagnosed
this is not life-threatening, but also who wants weeks of diarrhea and a fucking parasite in them lol. if you suspect you've already had this and it's passed, i would see a doctor. you might need an antiparasitic anyway. if you're actively sick, see a doctor and they might be able to prescribe medication to help you get over it faster.
try to avoid eating raw vegetables, scrub fruit with a produce brush and rinse thoroughly with water. again, don't bother with premade greens or bagged salads. if you buy lettuce, remove the outer 2-3 layers of leaves.
there are UNVERIFIED rumors that the greens have been linked to a company that sources to taco bell. some locations have been actively pulling fresh ingredients like lettuce, avocado, and pico de gallo to mitigate the threat, so i would avoid any products from them just in case. considering how vast supply chains are, i'd be wary of any fast food greens in general for now.
further tips from an immunocompromised person obsessed with food safety:
- wash and then cook your vegetables. air fry, bake, sautee, deep fry, whatever to 165F
- if you really want a salad, get locally farmed veg from the farmers market and wash VERY thoroughly. if the farm has info about their labor practices, even better. workers' safety keeps us safe too
- you can blanch some greens too but this isn't as safe as cooking thoughly
- wash your hands thoroughly before & after prepping raw vegetables
- avoid cross contamination in your kitchen from raw vegetables. act like it's raw chicken
from the original source, it is not considered a national health emergency, but do still be careful with raw vegetables of course!
Got a nasty stomach bug that won’t go away? It could be cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection that causes weeks of debilitating diarrhea, cr
from CNN's reporting (jul 8 2026)
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration have been investigating several clusters of cases in Illinois, New York City, New York State, Pennsylvania and Texas, which appear to be linked to Mexican-style restaurants, a grocery chain, and a catered event, according to an email sent by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to state and local partners that was obtained by CNN. The FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation network is conducting traceback investigations on white and green onions, cucumbers and cilantro, in an effort to narrow down potential sources, the email said. The CDC says there’s no evidence at this point suggesting these earlier clusters are part of a multi-state outbreak. At least eight additional cyclosporiasis clusters have been identified in Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. However, case interviews are still pending, and these investigations are still in their early stages, the CDC said. The agency plans to update cyclosporiasis website later this week. The largest of these clusters appears to be in Michigan. The state says it typically logs about 50 cases of cyclosporiasis annually. It has now seen nearly 1,000 cases since June 22, pointing to an outbreak with a common source. More than three dozen of these patients have been hospitalized, according to Dr. Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
emphasis mine but please be aware if you are in these specific states that these are where the clusters are!
