Nearly a third of Americans cut back their produce consumption and nearly two-thirds changed their behavior this summer after an “explosive diarrhea” parasite ravaged rectums across the country, according to a poll.
At least 30% of people said they were buying less fresh produce at grocery stores over the cyclosporiasis parasite outbreak, which left tens of thousands of people cramping on their commodes from vicious bouts of viscous diarrhea.
Some were hospitalized as the parasite tore through American toilets, and at least two people died, according to the Center for Disease Control.
And word of those sufferings evidently got around — in addition to the 30% of people who reduced produce shopping, another 25% reduced the produce they consumed while eating out, a new Ipsos poll found.
Some 15% also opted to buy frozen produce instead of fresh, 35% became more stringent about washing produce at home and 10% cut back buying produce from farmers’ markets.
The cyclosporiasis outbreak initially affected iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, a producer which provided the lettuce to Taco Bell before it spread nationwide beginning around May.
Since then more than a dozen foods were suspected of being affected — including pistachio nut butter, rice, blueberries, jalapenos, pork, eggs and various fruits to name a few.
Nearly 20,000 cases were confirmed by the CDC between May 1 and Aug. 31, though the real numbers are suspected to be considerably higher since most people wouldn’t have become ill enough to reach out to a doctor.
The outbreak has since tapered off enough for the CDC to stop providing regular updates, but the huge numbers of people impacted made one of the largest food-borne illness outbreaks in US history.
And it changed people’s consumption habit enough to affect the market — leafy green sales dropped up to 30% over the summer, vegetable sales dropped 16% and fruit sale went down by 17%, Fox Business reported.
