134 cases of a parasitic outbreak linked to several restaurants

Health officials confirmed Wednesday they are investigating a cyclosporiasis infection outbreak that reportedly affected more than 100 people and three Wake County restaurants.
Posted 8/8/2024, 2:30:10 AM Updated 8/8/2024, 12:58:11 PM

SHOWING FLOODED CARS IN THE

MALL'S

PARKING LOT.

>> TONIGHT OFFICIALS ARE

INVESTIGATING A PARASITIC

OUTBREAK IN WAKE COUNTY WITH

134 CASES LINKED TO 3 SEPARATE

RESTAURANTS. WRAL'S WILL LEAD.

AN ALI SPOKE TO A YOUNG WOMAN

WHO IS RECOVERING AFTER

BECOMING INFECTED.

>> IT'S CALLED CYCLOPS PRICES

AND THE OUTBREAK IN WAKE COUNTY

WAS FIRST IDENTIFIED IN JULY

>> SO I THINK FOR ME, THE

BIGGEST THING IS JUST IT'S

SCARING US A BIT OF THAT.

IT COULD HAPPEN AT ANY TIME.

AND THERE'S NO WAY TO REALLY

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM ME.

>> THE WAKE COUNTY HEALTH

DEPARTMENT SAYS 3 RESTAURANTS

ARE LINKED TO THE OUTBREAK

INFECTING 134 PEOPLE.

INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE THE

OUTBREAK ISN'T NECESSARILY FROM

THE RESTAURANTS THEMSELVES,

BUT INSTEAD FROM THE HERBS AND

VEGETABLES BEING SERVED INSIDE

THE PARASITE IS SO SMALL.

IT CAN ONLY BE SEEN BY

MICROSCOPE. IT SPREAD WHEN

PEOPLE INGEST FOOD OR WATER

CONTAMINATED WITH FECES.

HEY, WE TRENT SHARED SOME OF

HER SYMPTOMS WITH WHAT SHE'S

BEEN SICK FOR NEARLY 2 WEEKS.

>> BODY TO EXTREME. SHE I WAS

OVER 100 AND QUITE A FEW

POINTS.

AND DIARRHEA AND VOMITING, LOSS

OF APPETITE.

AND COULDN'T KEEP ANY FOOD

DOWN. COULDN'T KEEP ANY WATER.

UK TERRAIN, ANYTHING ANY TYPE

OF MEDICINE DOWN AFTER 2 TRIPS

TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM TRIP,

HOPE SHE'S FINALLY ON THE ROAD

TO RECOVERY. SO I THINK THE

SCARIEST PART FOR ME IS JUST

>> 2 WEEKS ALREADY THAT I'VE

BEEN OUT OF WORK THAT I'VE BEEN

SHAPED AND THAT I'VE BEEN, YOU

KNOW, AN UNPAID AND THEN JUST

WHAT'S TO COME NEXT. BECAUSE

WE'RE STILL HERE AND I'M STILL

EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS. SHOPPERS

AROUND WAKE COUNTY SPOKE TO

ME ABOUT THEIR CONCERNS.

THIS WOMAN TELLS ME CYCLOPS

PRICES CASES ARE MAKING FOR

MORE CAUTIOUS ABOUT WHAT SHE

CONSUMES.

>> IT SEEMS LIKE THAT YOU WANT

TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL RESEARCH

TO SEE IF THERE ARE WAYS THAT

YOU CAN CIRCUMVENT GETTING

PARASITE BECAUSE THAT SEEMS

LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING YOU DON'T

WANT TO, YOU KNOW, HAVING YOUR

LIFE.

>> THE NORTH CAROLINA

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SAYS THE

OUTBREAK APPEARS TO BE OVER