Health2 min(s) read
Published 09:36 09 Aug 2026 GMT
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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