Kentucky farmer says diarrhea-causing parasite is boosting business

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB/WKYT) — The cyclosporiasis outbreak is leading many consumers to purchase produce directly from local farmers instead of major retailers, and one Kentucky farmer said it's boosting her business.

Taylor Farms, the major lettuce provider for retailers, voluntarily recalled its lettuce sold at Walmart after it was linked to the diarrhea-causing parasite, cyclospora.

The recall is subsequently driving shoppers away from retailers Ally Vallandingham, co-owner of Stepping Stone Farm in Paris, said she has seen an increase in customers coming directly to her farm since the outbreak began.

"People are nervous and I totally understand it," Vallandingham said. "It's scary. You want to have a safe food system."

Vallandingham said getting locally grown produce into large retailers such as Walmart or Kroger is difficult for local farms, making face-to-face connections with shoppers central to her business. At Stepping Stone Farm, shoppers can purchase fresh produce in the farm store or pick it themselves in the fields.

"We have just been trying to educate the best that we can and the best way to do that is to show you our produce," Vallandingham said.

Cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea "with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements," according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Outbreaks tend to occur most often in the late spring and summer.

The heat-loving parasite infects the bowels and spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to feces-contaminated irrigation water.

The illness, called cyclosporiasis, is less common than foodborne illnesses caused by other germs, including salmonella and E. coli. Many cases are never linked to a specific food or other source and, for years, few U.S. cyclospora outbreaks were reported. But the number started rising about a decade ago, with a particularly notable spike in 2018 and 2019.

Kentucky officials have reported nearly 200 cases, including 30 in Jefferson County. In Indiana, more than 300 cases had been identified as of Friday afternoon. Altogether, the CDC has tracked nearly 7,000 cases in 34 states.