Can buying local produce help prevent cyclosporiasis?

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. — As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 34 states are reporting cases of the parasitic infection cyclosporiasis, Channel 9 is hearing from people concerned about safety of certain foods.

In Cabarrus County, Channel 9’s Hannah Goetz saw people lined up at the Miller and Sons produce stand at Rocky River Presbyterian Church before the stand even opened at 3 p.m. The owner, Robert Miller, said they have a huge following who wait to pick up a variety of fruits and vegetables.

With the uptick in cyclospora in North Carolina at more than 300 cases, there are a lot of questions and concerns over what produce to buy and where it comes from. Health officials say it is most commonly linked to produce.

People at Miller and Sons said they feel much safer about buying it locally compared to a chain grocery store.

“We just love the local fruit because it’s safer, it tastes better,” Rhonda Hill told Goetz.

Miller said he’s not too concerned about it.

“I eat our own stuff, and I’ve never had a problem, so I suggest just buying local, and that way you know where it’s coming from,” Miller said.

Dr. Cameron Wolfe is an infectious disease specialist with Duke Health, and he said shopping local can help, but it’s not the most important thing you can do.

“I would say in general, yes, of course we should always support our local farmers,” Wolfe said. “I would also go on and say it shouldn’t take away the right thing to do, which is also to make sure you’ve cleaned and prepared your food the right way. That’s true if the farmer is a mile down the road, that’s true of the lettuce you grew in your own garden, that’s true if it’s the mass-produced stuff that we’re getting from Kroger or Harris Teeter.”

Miller says he does just that.

“We just go through all the sanitary that we can; we wear gloves when we pick, wash with Clorox water, and just stuff like that, just general sanitation,” Miller said. “And we just never had a problem in the past.”