Eau Claire farmers market vendor says produce-washing steps help keep food safe amid Cyclospora

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - The Cyclospora parasite has been found all around the country, and has been detected in Eau Claire County. “The outbreak in Wisconsin has been going on since May 1, and there have been about 61 cases, Eau Claire county has only seen three cases, and that’s typically normal for this time of year and for this bacterium,” said Kristy Polden, a Public Health Nurse with the Eau Claire City-County Health Department. While Cyclospora has been found in the county, distributors at the farmers market are not too worried about it being found in their fruit. “Most things, we have a commercial vegetable washer that we’ll run through, like cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, wash them through with clean flowing water all the time, and then other things we’ll just make sure we get the dirt and such off, especially if it’s an exposed fruit, like tomatoes or cucumbers,” said Blake Sam of Sam’s Produce at the Eau Claire Farmers’ Market. Many farmers have a similar process to ensure that their product is safe to eat. “I mean, if you walk around the farmers’ market here, I don’t really see too many dirty stuff,” Blake said. “You bring it from the field, you run it through the washer, it makes a big difference.” However, if you have symptoms of Cyclosporiasis like stomach cramps or diarrhea, Polden has some reccomendations. “Definitely managing just with supplemental measures like a lot of Pedialyte, electrolytes, a lot of fluid, just making sure to get all that in while also dealing with 95 degree heat,” Polden said. Copyright 2026 WEAU. All rights reserved.