Alabama Public Health Warning For All Fruit Lovers

If you are anything like me, you have a home with plenty of fruit.

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In the Summer, I live for the roadside stands and farmers' markets for the best fruit available. Now, the Alabama Public Health team is issuing a very important warning to all of us who consume fruit. It all stems from an illness caused by a tiny germ that is spreading across the country. Cyclosporiasis, an illness caused by a germ, is spreading through more than half of the United States.

Credit: Alabama Public Health via Facebook

According to the health experts we contacted, the illness can cause diarrhea, nausea, and extreme tiredness. Alabama health officials are still looking for the source. If you have any of those symptoms, it is important to contact your physician.

PREVENTION AND STAYING SAFE

Health experts gave us three basic and important ways to prevent getting sick.

First, wash hands with soap and warm water before and after handling or preparing any fruits or vegetables.

Next, wash ALL fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking.

Also, avoid food or water that might have been contaminated with stool.

According to the CDC, no one fully knows how Cyclospora gets into food and water. They say the most important thing is avoiding any food or water that may have been contaminated with feces.

The CDC is continuing to monitor the situation in Alabama and around the US as well as helping state health departments identify and investigate outbreaks to prevent additional cases.