Westchester County health committee hears expert on cyclospora; cooking produce, testing urged

The Westchester County Board of Legislators’ Committee on Health heard a briefing Aug. 5 from Dr. Gary Zeatland, chief of infectious disease at White Plains Hospital, on the ongoing national cyclospora outbreak. Chair Legislator Julie Williams Johnson said the purpose of the meeting was educational “and not to create fear,” and the committee reviewed federal and local case counts.

Dr. Zeatland told the committee cyclospora is “an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite cyclospora” that is most often transmitted through contaminated food or water. He urged sensible precautions for higher-risk people and advised that, as a foolproof measure, cooking produce to at least 158°F destroys the parasite: “Anything above 158 Fahrenheit will kill cyclospora.” The committee’s briefing cited Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures through July 27 showing 6,707 laboratory-confirmed domestically acquired cases across 45 states and about 11,500 additional cases under review.

The doctor described clinical features and testing. Typical symptoms are watery diarrhea, cramping, nausea and sometimes bloating; infections are usually non-bloody. In outbreak settings clinicians should have a lower threshold for testing, Dr. Zeatland said, and modern GI pathogen molecular panels can identify cyclospora from a single sample. “At White Plains Hospital, we would have a result within 24 hours typically,” he said. He also noted that the panel can detect multiple pathogens and may detect dead organisms after treatment, which can complicate interpretation.

On treatment, Dr. Zeatland said the standard, effective therapy is trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (commonly called Bactrim), usually given for seven to 10 days. He advised clinicians to rely on clinical judgment when PCR results might detect nonviable organisms and to look for evidence of other infections when symptoms persist.

Chair Johnson and committee members pressed for practical guidance for diners and food-service operators. Dr. Zeatland recommended that higher-risk individuals avoid pre-shredded iceberg lettuce and certain herbs and berries during active outbreaks, while not discouraging healthy people from eating most fresh vegetables. He said washing is not fully protective for some susceptible items because organisms can persist in the nooks of berries or adhere to shredded produce.

The committee did not take formal public-health action at the meeting; the briefing concluded with a reminder to residents to seek medical care if diarrheal illness lasts several days or if symptoms are severe, and with thanks to the White Plains Hospital guests.