Dallas' Children's Health confirms treating two patients with cyclospora
Children's Health said its Dallas hospital treated two patients this year with cyclospora. Hospital officials could not say if the cases were linked to the outbreak that has made more than 4,000 people sick in 41 states. The cases were reported to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
"Cyclospora is a parasite infestation that you can acquire by eating contaminated food, particularly fresh produce and drinking contaminated water," Dr. Carla Carreno said.
Carreno is the Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Children's Health in Plano, where no cases have been confirmed. She did not know of the Dallas campus' confirmation. However, Carreno is versed in the microscopic parasite.
"It's very important that parents watch for signs of dehydration," Carreno said. "Babies, decrease the amount of wet diapers. In the older kids, decrease the amount of times that they go to the restroom for number one. So that will be one of the earliest signs."
The illness, she said, may take up to 14 days to incubate. Federal officials believe the source of sickness may come from Mexican-grown iceberg lettuce through the produce supplier Taylor Farms.
According to Carreno, the outcome is watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, bloating, nausea, and low-grade fever. She said if the stomach bug and long-lasting diarrhea continue for more than three days, parents need to get their child medical attention.
"They need to seek medical care to arrange testing because there is treatment available for this parasite," she said.
Kinetra Whitby said her son and daughter were fine. She's changed the lettuce selection in their home due to the outbreak.
"I feel like everything that is affected has been pulled, and I've really consumed less organic or lettuce in general. Like, not just organic, but just less of it," Whitby said.
The mother of two said she's not a fast-food eater, and she did her research on places carrying products that may cause illness. She's still watching the refrigerator for herself, but not the kids.
"They don't have access to lettuce. They don't eat lettuce," she said.
Carreno said keeping kids from eating vegetables and fruit may not be the solution. She recommends choosing fruit like bananas with a peel. Raspberries, she said, may be more challenging to clean.
"Wash hands with soap and water. Wash all your fresh produce with running water," she said. "It doesn't a hundred percent eliminate the parasite, but it will decrease the chances of having the food contaminated."
CBS News Texas contacted Cook Children's to see if the pediatric medical facility had any confirmed cases. In a statement, they said, "We do test for Cyclospora, and we have seen an increase in the number of orders during the current outbreak. Despite the increased orders, as of today, we have not had any positive samples."
Parkland Health said it did not have any cases either.
