Kansas City shoppers shift habits as cyclosporiasis cases confirmed in region

KSHB 41 News reporter Lauren Schwentker covers stories in the Northland, including in Clay and Platte counties. Have a story idea? Send her an email.

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Kansas City shoppers are changing what they buy now that Kansas and Missouri have confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, a severe stomach bug caused by the Cyclospora parasite.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the parasite can be found in bagged salads, fresh herbs and berries. The Food and Drug Administration says produce from farmers markets has a shorter supply chain, but that does not fully eliminate the risk.

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In response to the outbreak, shoppers at the City Market are changing how they shop and what they eat.

Natalie Danner said she is avoiding certain foods and throwing some out.

"We got mangos, plums. I'm still steering clear of berries because we are still unsure, so we are getting alternatives," Danner said. "I definitely got rid of my berries because my little one loves berries, and I didn't want to take a chance with that."

Ashley Duff said she is not buying any fresh produce right now.

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"I'm a big salad eater, so no, I'm not eating salad right now. I threw out a couple bags of spinach, cilantro. And then I had a couple bags of lettuce and got rid of those," Duff said. "We are sticking to frozen foods right now, sticking to less fresh, which is not ideal. It's making me pay more attention to what I eat, and I've been eating a lot more bread and carbs because I'm scared of the produce."

Carol Griffin said the outbreak has changed how she handles her produce.

"I wash a lot more than I did," she said.

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The outbreak is also affecting local businesses. Ben Wisdom, owner of Christina's Produce, said customer traffic has dropped.

"We are seeing less traffic flow lately," Wisdom said.

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Wisdom encouraged shoppers to consider locally sourced options.

"You always want to buy local, and we offer fresh product daily and consistently," he said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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