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A social media food critic has detailed the horrifying experience she had after contracting the 'explosive diarrhea' parasite.
Christina Hart, 29, who reviews Tennessee food businesses for her almost 160,000 followers, opened up about how she was left scared to leave her home after coming down with the parasite.
She's initially thought she had food poisoning or a stomach virus, but when her symptoms carried on for around a month, she eventually tested positive for cyclosporiasis, also known as the explosive diarrhea parasite.
She told USA Today: "That’s really the best word to sum it all up, was miserable.
"I got tested. I saw the headlines of cyclosporiasis and I’m like: ‘I’m having those symptoms. I need to make sure I ask for that testing.’ Came back positive.
"I was sick for three weeks with it. And then around the three-and-a-half-week mark, I started feeling better."
The parasite has infected tens of thousands of people across the US - even proving fatal for some.
Despite the headlines, Hart admitted that she was unaware of just how horrific the illness was until she experienced it firsthand.
She explained the worst part of the experience was the urgency to use the bathroom several times a day: "The timestamps in between having to go (to the bathroom) was just a little extreme for me.
"That kind of stopped me from just living my everyday life because I was scared to go out in public."
Hart revealed that she was scared to leave her home as the illness makes a person "lose complete control" of their bowels.
She admitted: "It’s not a fun experience… you will need to be near a restroom if you have it."
After a "very uncomfortable" month with the condition, Hart is now back to "completely normal".
She revealed that she lost around 17 lbs with it as it left her unable to eat much, and she also experienced extreme bloating.
Given that her social media career hinges on food reviews, Hart was concerned her explosive diarrhea would affect it, which she found "kind of depressing".
However, she revealed: "The whole parasite thing flipped everything upside down and then launched it into even more success," revealing that many of her viewers initially reached out wondering where she was after she suddenly stopped posting.
“It’s not the most pleasant thing to be like, ‘Well, I’m stuck in the bathroom,” she admitted.
Hart added: "A lot of doors kind of opened unexpectedly through this miserable experience, so I’m grateful for it.
"I hated the whole experience, but now I’m finding the blessing in (it)."
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A parasite known to cause explosive, watery diarrhea has sparked concern among health officials.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that 145 people between the ages of 5 and 86 contracted Cyclospora cayetanensis between May and June 16.
Twenty people have been hospitalized, although no deaths have been reported.
New York has reported the largest number of cases, with the CDC placing it in the 31 to 80 case range. Texas and Illinois have each reported between 11 and 30 cases, while the remaining affected states have reported between one and 10 infections.
Despite the growing number of cases, investigators have yet to pinpoint exactly what caused the outbreak.
Cyclospora infections are usually associated with ingesting food or water contaminated with feces while traveling in tropical or subtropical regions.
However, because none of the current patients reported recent international travel, officials believe the infections were contracted from food consumed within the country.
There is also no evidence that the parasite spreads from person to person.
"Local, state, and federal (CDC, FDA) public health authorities are investigating several clusters of cases in more than one state. Investigations to identify potential sources are ongoing," the agency reported.
Officials have also cautioned that the true number of infections is likely higher than reported, as more cases may not yet have been diagnosed, and the parasite could already be present in states that have not officially reported infections.
The parasite causes cyclosporiasis, a foodborne illness that primarily affects the intestines.
Symptoms usually appear about a week after infection and include watery diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, bloating, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, loss of appetite, and low-grade fever.
Some people may also experience increased gas, weight loss, body aches, headaches, and other flu-like symptoms, while others may not develop symptoms at all.
Cyclosporiasis is considered a nationally notifiable disease, meaning healthcare providers are mandated to report cases to federal health authorities.
Although some infections resolve without treatment, symptoms can last for several days to more than a month, increasing the risk of dehydration if left untreated.
Doctors normally treat the illness with the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, sold under the brand names Bactrim, Septra, and Cotrim.
While investigators have not identified the food responsible for the current outbreak, fresh imported produce has been linked to several previous cases of cyclosporiasis in the United States.
Foods previously associated with outbreaks include cilantro, raspberries, sweet peas, mesclun lettuce, and basil.
In 2019, imported basil from Mexico was linked to an outbreak, while contaminated McDonald's salads left nearly 400 people sick in 2018.
A man who caught the "explosive diarrhea parasite", which he believes he got from a fast food meal, revealed the terrifying symptoms he experienced.
Alonso Zaragoza, 46, from Chicago, told NBC Chicago 5 he ended up in the emergency room last Wednesday after suffering relentless diarrhea for over a week, after eating a Taco Bell meal.
He explained: "It was just every hour and a half going to the washroom. I don’t think I slept more than an hour and a half continuously in the last week."
Zaragoza revealed that he then developed a terrifying symptom which made him seek medical attention - blood in his stool.
He recalled: "My family was like, 'That’s not normal.'"
After being admitted to the hospital, doctors ran blood and stool tests which showed Zaragoza had contracted cyclosporiasis, a fast-spreading intestinal illness that’s been linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce.
He was hooked up to an IV drip to help with his recovery as Zaragoza retraced his recent meals to try and work out where he may have contracted the parasite.
Zaragoza explained: "I looked through everything; there was nothing that I ate that contained lettuce except for a chalupa from the luxe box at Taco Bell.
"I looked at the app, I Googled the ingredients [of the Chalupa Supreme] – it said iceberg lettuce."
Thankfully, by Saturday Zaragoza said he was "probably at like 80%” recovered, adding: "That’s still better than a lot of people right now."
Almost 7,000 people across 34 states have become ill in the outbreak, per the New York Post, which health officials have largely linked to contaminated lettuce from Taylor Farms which was served at Taco Bell restaurants.
The CDC reported on Saturday that 94 people had been hospitalized amid the epidemic, but there have so far been no deaths.
Taco Bell is now facing a growing wave of lawsuits in the wake of the concerning outbreak.
Among the plaintiffs is Mohammed Ayyad, who regularly visits the fast food establishment in North Olmsted, Ohio, who claimed he fell ill after eating Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes and Avocado Ranch Chicken Stackers over three visits in mid-June.
He developed a "severe" headache, chills, vomiting, and persistent diarrhea just days later, with his symptoms being so severe he was unable to sleep, per the lawsuit he filed against the eatery in Ohio federal court.
A stool test on July 9 confirmed that Ayyad had contracted cyclosporiasis, and the illness meant he had to miss two weeks of work, causing him a loss of income, and he also still suffers from nausea and other symptoms, according to the complaint against Pacific Bells LLC which operates around 300 Taco Bell restaurants.
Ayyad’s attorney, Bill Marler, told the New York Post: "We have been contacted by more than 30 people – and 90% of them ate at Taco Bell."
Taco Bell said it had “completed removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from our restaurants” while the supplier recalled a lengthy list of products, including shredded iceberg lettuce.
Cyclosporiasis is contracted through ingesting the microscopic parasite, which the causes symptoms including persistent diarrhea, as well as stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue, bloating, weight loss and low-grade fever, per the CDC.
Those most at risk of severe illness are people with weakened immune systems, the elderly, or children, per the FDA.
Zaragoza shared a warning for others amid the outbreak, adding: "Stay hydrated, be careful [about] where you’re eating, making sure you wash, clean and cook any greens that you’re eating."
A woman has left social media users horrified after appearing to eat a piece of salmon raw on the bus - with many fearing for her health.
The TikTok user, who goes by @aggiedayx, shared footage of her proudly holding up a packet of uncooked salmon on what appeared to be a party bus, before tucking into it raw.
She overlaid the video with text reading: "Anyone else or am I just a wrongen?", adding in the caption: "just missing the soya said :( banging #happynewyear."
Understandably, seeing a woman chomping down on uncooked fish in a moving vehicle did not sit right with most of the viewers.
Let's think of the practicalities first - this woman is clearly dressed for a night out, and anyone that's ever cooked salmon knows that it comes with a pretty pungent odor.
Then there's the fact that the fish is generally a bit slimy and wet when removed from the packaging, which could lead to fish juice all over her and the bus. That and the fact buses are also generally not the cleanest or most hygienic of places to be eating if you can avoid it.
Oh yeah, and the small fact that eating raw salmon can be extremely dangerous for your health of course.
Viewers took to the comments to share their disgust, writing: "Bruh I am all for raw salmon but you can't be having this kind," and "Get some worm tablets ASAP."
Others added: "Omg that's so dangerous it's not sashimi grade," and "My jaw literally dropped and stayed like it the entire time."
While raw salmon can be eaten in some dishes including poké or ceviche, whether or not it's safe to do so is largely down to how it is treated and stored and whether or not the fish has been smoked.
Salmon can contain parasites that can make you seriously ill, which are destroyed by heat when the fish is cooked.
There's also the chance of bacteria - including salmonella - which can cause food poisoning, as well as potential for the fish to have been contaminated when it was cut or packaged.
Some people - including pregnant women, those with compromised immune systems, children, and the elderly - should stay away from raw salmon entirely.
Either way, it's definitely better to cook salmon before you eat it, just to be on the safe side.
Aggie told the Independent that she'd "posted [the video] as a laugh" and that she only chows down on raw fish on the odd occasion rather than as a staple part of her diet and is aware it's "unhealthy". Thank the lord.
It has been announced that US health officials are researching a dangerous parasite following a new outbreak of Cyclospora, which can cause prolonged periods of diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal problems.
The US Food and Drug Administration is working with state and local health authorities to determine how people became infected and whether there is a common source behind the illnesses.
Cyclospora is a tiny parasite that can infect people who consume contaminated food or water.
An infection with the parasite can cause watery diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue and loss of appetite.
Symptoms can last for weeks or even months if the infection is left untreated.
The parasite is usually found in fresh produce, although identifying the exact source of an outbreak is often difficult because symptoms of the infection often begin days or weeks after consuming the parasite.
Health investigators are now examining cases of infection in an effort to establish whether there is a common food source that the parasites are found in. The outbreak that has prompted this investigation is not currently known to have started with one specific food product.
Cyclospora infections are generally treatable with medication, and most people recover fairly quickly. However, prolonged diarrhoea can lead to dehydration and may be particularly serious for older adults, young children and people with weak immune systems.
The investigation comes as health authorities continue to monitor cyclospora infections across the United States, where cases tend to increase during the warmer months.
Officials are urging people experiencing persistent diarrhoea or other symptoms associated with cyclospora to report their case to a healthcare provider. Laboratory testing may be needed to confirm an infection because the parasite cannot always be identified through routine testing.
Health agencies have not advised consumers to avoid fresh produce, but have instead encouraged people to follow standard food safety measures. For the best chance of avoiding the nasty parasite, experts recommend washing produce thoroughly under running water, keeping food preparation areas clean and avoiding cross-contamination.
Investigators will continue to track cases and analyse available information as they search for the source of the outbreak.
If a specific food or product is identified, officials could issue additional warnings or take steps to remove potentially contaminated items from the market.
Cyclospora is thankfully not spread directly from person to person because the parasite generally requires time outside the body before it becomes infectious.
The FDA and other public health authorities are expected to provide further information as the investigation progresses.
Doctors made a horrifying discovery in a woman's brain, years after she returned from a trip to India.
Lowri Denman spent two months traveling in the South Asian country back in 2007, making the conscious decision to stick to a vegetarian diet to reduce her risk of food poisoning.
However, four years after her trip of a lifetime, Lowri experienced a seizure, causing her to be rushed to hospital in an ambulance, unaware of what was happening to her.
From that point on, her life drastically changed. The doctors found that a metre-long tapeworm had left her with 38 parasites in her brain, which were causing seizures, headaches, and psychosis.
Disturbingly, Lowri had experienced no prior symptoms, nor was she given any physical indication that anything was awry.
After her visit to healthcare professionals, she was referred to Neuroradiology, where a scan revealed that she had neurocysticercosis – a parasitic infection of the brain, brought on by the larvae of the pork tapeworm, which develops when the underlying condition goes untreated.
"It looked absolutely disgusting, like Sellotape with like little ridges in it," she told BBC News.
"The doctor sat me down and said, 'right, okay, we've looked at your scans and we've found 38 parasites on your brain'," said Lowri.
"Me and my mum were just jaws on the floor like, 'what on earth, what is that?'
"At that point there's so many questions because you just don't know what's ahead of you with your health," said Lowri.
"The panic of what's next, what am I going to have to deal with, what medication am I going to go on, can I go back to work?"
While doctors sought advice from tropical disease experts, Lowri was being treated for epilepsy.
During that period, the woman from Wales lost her driving license due to increased risk of seizures, before she was forced to quit her job in 2015, subsequently moving back in with her dad.
In 2017, Lowri was discharged from hospital, but admitted that she was still in a ‘bad way’ but was committed to returning to her former life.
"I didn't feel myself at all, I didn't look myself in the slightest, I didn't want to go out," she claimed.
Fortunately, Lowri’s health has steadily improved ever since, with medication helping to manage her seizures and symptoms.
"I've not had any surgery to actually take them out of my brain," she said. "Apparently they just sort of die down and they calcify basically. So at this point they are now calcified."
Having not suffered from a seizure in over a decade, Lowri is now focusing on the future, as she looks to assist others by sharing her story.
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