With thousands of cases reported in the United States, the investigation into the outbreak is fueling fears of new restrictions on Mexican agricultural products.
Fields behind the Taylor Farms processing facility in Doctor Mora, a town in Guanajuato state in Mexico. Credit…
Reporters traveled to Guanajuato, a state in central Mexico that U.S. health officials suspect may be ground zero for the cyclosporiasis outbreak.
When Carmen Ramirez learned that a parasite was turning Americans’ guts into roaring time bombs—and that the outbreak’s origin pointed to Guanajuato, her home state in central Mexico—she couldn’t help but giggle.
“I thought it was hilarious,” said Ramirez, 31, as she helped her father work behind the counter at their family’s grocery store in Doctor Mora, a quiet farming town of about 30,000 people.
“We’ve become more well-known in the United States for the diarrhea,” she said.
But she grew concerned when she saw that U.S. health authorities claimed to have traced the cases to contaminated lettuce processed in her hometown. Specifically, to packaging owned by Taylor Farms, a well-known producer of vegetables and salad packages in the area. The California-based company is a key part of the local economy, being the region’s largest employer, especially for young people and single mothers.
Even the mere suggestion that Cyclospora—the parasite behind the outbreak that has dominated the news and inspired memes and songs—could be linked to Taylor Farms could jeopardize the livelihoods of workers, lettuce growers, vendors, and their families.
Source: nytimes
