DAYTON — Miami Valley children are getting sick from an intestinal parasite illness.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, Taylor Farms announced on Saturday that it has expanded a voluntary recall of its iceberg lettuce products sourced in Mexico, according to the Associated Press.
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Parents and doctors say it poses a risk to children, but there are plenty of ways to keep kids safe.
“It makes me nervous, you want to police everything that goes into your child’s body, and you want to keep him healthy, but you can’t,” said Kimberly Behnken.
The Cyclospora outbreak has parents paying close attention.
She and her son, Jaxon, have been talking about it for weeks.
“We watch the news at night, and he’s full of questions, and I like the fact that he asked the questions on how to stay safe,” said Behnken.
She said that she welcomes all his questions.
“What would be a safe food to eat that you could wash very thoroughly to where I can’t get this parasite?” asked Jaxon.
Dr. Michael Klatte, infectious disease chief with Dayton Children’s Hospital, said a balanced diet should be the top priority.
“I want to emphasize that having kids eat their fruits and vegetables is definitely something that we continue to recommend,” he said.
Past Cyclospora outbreaks have been linked to fruits.
“Fruits like raspberries have very small crevices on their surface that this parasite can hide in, so it can be more difficult to wash produce like that off,” he said.
Medical experts say this one is linked to lettuce. But Dr. Klatte says that care should be shown to all produce before anyone eats it.
“The longer you have diarrhea, the increased risk for dehydration, particularly in young children,” he said.
Behnken said that she will be cautious until the outbreak is under control.
Dr. Klatte said that there have been 14 confirmed cases in Montgomery County this week. He added that multiple children have tested positive, but none were hospitalized.
News Center 7 will continue to update this developing story.
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