Nearly 2,000 Infected With a Parasite, 98 Hospitalized After Eating a Common Vegetable: What You Should Know

A simple serving of raw vegetables can seem like one of the healthiest choices you can make. Vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients that support overall health.

But when vegetables are grown, harvested, washed, or prepared under unsafe conditions, they can sometimes become contaminated with microorganisms or parasites.

That is why stories about large groups of people becoming sick after eating a seemingly ordinary vegetable can attract so much attention.

The image accompanying this story refers to an outbreak involving nearly 2,000 people infected with a parasite and 98 hospitalized after consuming a common vegetable. While dramatic social-media headlines can sometimes simplify or exaggerate the details of an outbreak, the underlying issue is real: certain fresh vegetables, particularly those eaten raw, can carry foodborne parasites when contaminated by unsafe water, soil, animals, or handling.

One parasite of particular concern in contaminated raw aquatic or leafy plants is Fasciola, a liver fluke that can infect humans.

Here is what you should know.

How Can a Vegetable Carry a Parasite?

Vegetables don't naturally “contain” parasites.

Contamination generally occurs because of the environment in which a crop is grown or handled.

Some parasites have complicated life cycles involving animals, water, and microscopic stages that can eventually contaminate plants.

For example, certain parasitic infections can occur when people consume raw aquatic plants or vegetables exposed to contaminated freshwater.

If the contaminated plant is eaten without adequate cooking or washing, infectious organisms may enter the digestive system.

This is one reason food-safety experts emphasize careful handling of fresh produce.

Why Raw Vegetables Can Carry More Risk

Cooking can destroy many parasites and other harmful microorganisms.

Raw produce does not receive that protective heat treatment.

This doesn't mean you should stop eating salads or fresh vegetables.

Far from it.

Fresh vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet.

The important point is that how produce is grown, washed, stored, and prepared matters.