Amid Cyclosporiasis Outbreak, University Researchers Lend Their Expertise

Chances are you’ve seen at least a few headlines this summer about what some are unsubtly referring to as the “explosive diarrhea parasite,” or Cyclospora cayetanensis.

But for some public health and foodborne-illness researchers, it’s been a surprise to see the parasite dominating the news cycle. Cases of cyclosporiasis, the infection caused by the parasite, tend to crop up every summer, though this outbreak is particularly widespread, with nearly 7,000 cases confirmed or under investigation. One researcher, Kali Kniel, a professor of microbial food safety at the University of Delaware, postulated that the “explosive diarrhea” framing might be helping it gain traction—though she noted she would instead use the descriptors “violent” and “sudden.”

For those scientists, outbreaks of the disease are taking their work beyond the walls of their labs or offices; suddenly, they’re responsible for combating misinformation, answering a slew of media requests and even fielding questions from the public.

“There are several of us that work in this field that are getting the questions about, ‘How does an outbreak investigation go? What is it about cyclospora that makes it more unique, and how can it survive in the environment?’” said Kniel. “I take the angle that I really want the right information to get out there, however I can share that as a scientist and as an educator. I’ve been on NPR and BBC, The New York Times, Good Housekeeping, Food and Wine. I think everybody is curious.”

The current outbreak of cyclospora, a parasite that spreads through ingesting contaminated water or food, began in late June and has grown quickly since. Although the source of the outbreak is still unknown, cyclospora is often transmitted through raw fruits and vegetables like lettuce, and the parasite can be killed by cooking produce. While the symptoms are unpleasant, cyclosporiasis is rarely fatal, and no deaths have been reported from the current outbreak. The illness has also inspired many memes.

Kniel researches many different foodborne pathogens; her research into cyclospora has primarily used “surrogates”—similar but not identical organisms—since it can be difficult to obtain cyclospora. She said that, though it’s not the first time the media has reached out to her, the influx of requests amid this outbreak has been the biggest of her career.

Public health and microbiology experts told Inside Higher Ed that it can be strange when their area of expertise is at the center of public attention—though some noted that this isn’t even the first time panic over a disease has dominated the news cycles in recent months, pointing to the hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship and an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The massive amount of attention can be overwhelming; in response to one email Inside Higher Ed sent to a leading cyclospora researcher at the University of Georgia, a spokesperson at the university said they’re no longer responding to individual interview requests, but instead putting together an FAQ on the parasite for media.

But it can also be a boon, giving researchers a unique opportunity to share their expertise, ensure the public is working from the best information possible and provide transparency about what we don’t yet know.

“Many of my colleagues believe that these moments are made to really reinforce the importance of what we do with our expertise and engaging with the public,” said Rodney E. Rohde, a microbiologist and the chair of Texas State University’s medical laboratory program.

Communication Challenges

Science communications experts say scientists play an important role amid acute situations like the ongoing cyclospora outbreak. At the same time, they face certain challenges when responding to real-time events, according to Dietram A. Scheufele, professor and chair of life sciences communications at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.