LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Southern Nevada Health District has confirmed Clark County's first case connected to a growing cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to contaminated lettuce that has now sickened more than 1,600 people across the country.
WATCH | Abel Garcia talked with a local doctor and residents about the latest on the outbreak of the parasite:
Health officials say the infected resident likely contracted the illness while traveling outside Nevada, and there is currently no sign of local spread. But with cases climbing in at least 34 states, many locals are paying closer attention to what they eat.
"The fact that it's here is actually kind of crazy," Tess Gaytan said. "I actually didn't know that they were on the West Coast already."
Federal investigators say contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce tied to Taco Bell locations in other states may be linked to the outbreak.
UNLV infectious disease epidemiologist Dr. Brian Labus said tracking outbreaks like this can take weeks as investigators trace the food supply chain from farms to restaurants.
"You trace it all the way back, and then you can do a trace forward and say, OK, now that it was from this farm, where did that lettuce go?" Labus said.
Labus confirmed the Clark County case does not appear to have been contracted locally.
"This is a pathogen that we're finding in the food right now. We haven't seen cases in Nevada that were acquired here. The person that we've heard about that is sick got it in the states that are having the outbreak," Labus said.
He said cyclospora is a parasite commonly spread through contaminated produce and raw foods that are not cooked before eating. Symptoms can include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and fatigue, and some cases can linger for weeks without treatment.
WATCH | Jhovani Carrillo heard from local shoppers about extra precautions they're taking at the store:
"I am kind of worried about it, but I don't eat out that much," Gaytan said. "And also from what I've heard, it's lettuce-based, so I'm just trying to stay away from lettuce as much as I can honestly."
Doctors say washing fruits and vegetables may help reduce the risk, but it does not eliminate it.
"Washing will help you a little bit, but it won't completely eliminate it," Labus said. "These things are sticky pathogens basically that hold on to the lettuce, and no matter how much you wash it, you're not going to get all of it off."
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