4 things to know about cyclospora and climate change

Cyclospora — a parasite that contaminates fresh produce and causes severe gastrointestinal illness — is now at the center of the largest known outbreak in U.S. history. Per Grist, the Food and Drug Administration has traced nearly two thousand cases across nine states in the Midwest to contaminated iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms in Mexico, though the true count is likely higher. Climate change plays a role: warmer summers accelerate the parasite's maturation and make it infectious faster. Droughts also force farmers to rely on less-filtered wastewater for irrigation, and when drought gives way to heavy rain, runoff carries more contaminants across farmland. Food safety experts say the corporate consolidation of agriculture and gaps in regulatory oversight make these outbreaks increasingly likely.

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