DAYTON — A nasty bacterial infection is spreading across the region.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, Auglaize County is seeing more people sick, and now Montgomery County is paying close attention.
News Center 7’s Nick Foley talked with a physician about ways to stay away from the parasite.
As the weather stays consistently warm in the summer months, a bacterial bug that attaches to food and water becomes more common.
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It can be found in grocery stores or even in standing water in pools and splash pads.
It’s called cyclospora.
“It is actually a parasitic infection. Usually waterborne, foodborne. It is primarily a diarrheal illness. So, it’s something that is going to look a lot like food poisoning. It’s going to cause abdominal cramping, sometimes with a grade fever, and diarrhea, sometimes unfortunately, can be described as explosive. So, kind of an uncomfortable situation to be in; primarily it’s going to be limited to that gastro illness,” Kettering Health family practice physician Dr. Austin Williams said.
Williams added that children and the elderly can be hit especially hard by the parasite.
While it’s not a respiratory disease, it can be passed on through contact.
The best ways to prevent sickness avoid consuming water that’s not fresh and to thoroughly wash food and hands.
“Hand washing will always be the best way of preventing transmissible illnesses. Especially if you’re caring, caring for somebody that has been infected with it. Make sure you’re washing your hands if you make sure you’re washing any vegetables, fruits that come through your door, make sure you’re washing them well, and then, you know, those are the two big things for prevention of this,” Williams said.
The bacterial infection is relatively easy to treat with antibiotics.
Williams advises people to get in contact with a doctor if they think they’ve been exposed.
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