Health officials are currently investigating the cause of a food-borne illness which making people sick in across Texas and in the Rio Grande Valley.
So far this year, there’s been 156 cases of people who reported being sick from consuming food or water contaminated with the cyclospora parasite, according to the Texas Health and Human Services.
Of those, 15 cases were reported out of the Rio Grande Valley, including nine in Hidalgo County.
Texas has experienced past outbreaks of cyclospora in cilantro.
“We have people working in the fields and there’s no adequate sanitary situations.
That’s where they are going to the bathroom.” Black says that in most cases, the parasite will cause you to feel sick.
But in some people, and especially if it is not treated, it can be deadly.
“These are things that kill really young people, really old people and people who have underlying diseases,” said Black.
People are advised to cook vegetables to ensure the parasite is killed.
Last year, there were 319 reported cases of cyclosporiasis in Texas, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.