Cyclosporiasis outbreak has shoppers buying local produce, Pittsburgh farmers market says

The ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak has shoppers buying local produce, according to farmers markets in the Pittsburgh area. 

The FDA has opened several investigations into cyclosporiasis outbreaks around the country, including one linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms. Last week, the Allegheny County Health Department said 11 people in the county were sickened by cyclospora.

On Thursday, Jim Goliwas stopped by a farmers market in the Borough of Green Tree to pick up some lettuce.

"I don't eat salads, but my wife wanted a BLT, so I'm here buying lettuce," he said. 

"Everything's grown locally, so when you're here, you're not worried about where it's coming from," he added.

Mariely, a worker at the Jose Quiroz Farm stand at the market, is from Salem, Ohio. 

"Last week, we sold out pretty fast of our lettuce," she told KDKA-TV on Thursday. "This week, we've already had like a bunch of sales, and the market has just opened."  

She said local is always a better and safer bet in part because the food hasn't sat in a box for a lengthy period to be shipped.

"Some people are like, 'I'm just at farmers markets right now, I'm not shopping at grocery stores for a while,'" she said. 

Even the Pittsburgh Pie Guy food truck at the market has forgone business as usual.

"I do basil like this, and instead of normally this would go on when it comes out of the oven, I'm going to put it on before it goes in the oven," worker Nate Maruccio said. 

They've already washed and soaked the basil before placing it on the pizza.

"Everything should be clean and safe going in the oven, but the oven is going to make sure anything I don't catch gets murdered in the process," Maruccio said. 

It's a simple precaution they're taking as an easy way to avoid the possibility of getting someone sick.