Public health officials say there’s no evidence of ongoing local transmission.
Northern Nevada Public Health reported the first local case of the gastrointestinal disease, which is surging in other parts of the country, on July 21. An elderly Washoe County resident was infected after he traveled to the Midwest, which has been an epicenter of the outbreak.
But Kellie Watkins, an epidemiologist with the county health district, said most people here don’t need to worry.
“There's no indication that we have any product or ongoing transmission that is occurring here,” she said.
The infection, caused by the Cyclospora parasite, causes symptoms like diarrhea and nausea. But contaminated lettuce linked to the outbreak in other states hasn’t been sold in Nevada, and cyclosporiasis is not usually passed person to person.
Still, Watkins said that it’s important to wash produce before eating it, and that handwashing before and after handling it can help prevent contamination. Cooking produce is the best way to kill any foodborne diseases that might be lurking.
