Don't Let This Guest Crash Your Cookout
Right now, a nationwide investigation is underway...
Between May 1 and June 16, at least 145 victims were reported across 17 states. The suspect didn't seem to discriminate by age – those affected ranged from 5 to 86.
Then the mystery deepened when Michigan officials reported a surge of more than 170 cases in just nine days.
Before you get too worried, the suspect isn't a person...
It's a microscopic parasite called cyclospora.
Cyclospora causes an infection called cyclosporiasis that you contract by ingesting contaminated food and water. Symptoms usually begin about a week after exposure, so folks may have trouble pinpointing the exact food that caused it.
The most common symptom? Watery, "explosive" diarrhea.
Without treatment, cyclospora can last a month or longer... disappear... and then return. Other symptoms include cramps, bloating, nausea, weight loss, and fatigue.
Authorities are still tracking down the exact culprit of the recent cyclosporiasis outbreak. And with Fourth of July celebrations approaching, this investigation gives us a timely reminder...
You might assume the biggest food-poisoning threat is the burger sizzling on the grill. But raw produce, dips, deli meats, and desserts can be just as dangerous...
We're in Prime Food-Poisoning Season
Summertime picnics and family get-togethers are prime opportunities to contract food poisoning... In these environments, warm temperatures and hand-touching of said foods can set the stage for a bacterial population boom.
According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 48 million Americans contract food poisoning each year from eating contaminated food. Gastrointestinal intruders land 128,000 folks in the hospital every year. Worse, about 3,000 of them end up dying.
Along with very young children and infants, older adults face higher stakes because their aging immune systems might not fight germs as effectively. Roughly half of Americans aged 65 or older who get sick from salmonella, listeria, campylobacter, or certain E. coli strains end up in the hospital.
Symptoms like nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, weakness, fever, chills, and headaches usually start two to six hours after eating the unfortunate dish. But some pathogens may take days – even weeks – to emerge.
Even if you don't die from a foodborne illness, you could end up permanently damaging your body in other ways... from kidney failure caused by E. coli... to painful arthritis due to salmonella... to neurological problems resulting from campylobacter infections.
Four Steps to Protect Yourself From Food Poisoning
Fortunately, remembering and following these four steps can help protect you...
- Clean: It probably goes without saying... One of the best ways to protect yourself from foodborne illness is to wash your hands with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds. Hand sanitizer won't do a thing against norovirus, which is the No. 1 cause of foodborne illness in the U.S.
And it's not just about washing your hands. Don't forget to clean your sink, counters, utensils, and cutting boards before preparing food. And wash fresh produce under running water before cutting it.
- Separate: Even if you've done your duty of washing your leafy greens, chopping them on a cutting board smeared with raw-chicken juices will result in cross-contamination. Make sure to prepare foods like veggies and raw meats separately.
- Cook: You can't reliably tell whether meat is done by looking at its color, so get a food thermometer to be extra safe. Whole cuts of beef, pork, veal, and lamb should be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a three-minute rest. Ground meat should be 160 degrees... and poultry 165 degrees.
- Chill: Don't leave out any perishable food for more than two hours – instead, chuck it in the refrigerator. And if the temperature is more than 90 degrees – say, at a picnic or in a hot car – that two-hour window shrinks to one hour.
Cold foods should be kept at 40 degrees or below. That means packing your cooler with plenty of ice or frozen gel packs. I like using multiple coolers, like one for food and the other for drinks. That way, your guests can grab another beer without constantly exposing the deviled eggs or potato salad to the warm outside temperatures.
Need to thaw frozen meat, poultry, or seafood? Plan ahead so that it thaws in the fridge and not on the counter.
Finally, once the food has sat out for too long, don't try to rescue it by putting it back on ice. When in doubt, throw it out.
Call your healthcare provider if you think you have food poisoning and start developing symptoms like diarrhea that is bloody or that lasts more than three days, repeated vomiting, a fever above 102 degrees, or signs of severe dehydration.
And don't forget to alert your local health department if multiple people from the same gathering get sick. That way, investigators can identify an outbreak before it harms more folks.
So enjoy the burgers, steaks, potato salad, fireworks, and time with your family this weekend. Just remember to keep one eye on the clock – and the other on the thermometer.
Now, a safe Fourth of July gathering isn't the only thing that requires good planning...
If you're like me, you want to relax and enjoy your retirement years without worrying about money.
That's why my team and I put together our "Best States for Your Retirement" report. We've crunched the numbers on housing costs, livability, crime, taxes, and more for each of the 50 states... so you can decide the best place to spend your golden years. Best of all, you can check it out for free with a 30-day risk-free trial to my flagship newsletter.
What We're Reading...
- Did you miss it? Serving up steak... with a side of toxins.
- Something different: A flesh-eating bacteria found in raw oysters is creeping up the Atlantic Coast.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
July 2, 2026
P.S. Our offices are closed tomorrow in honor of Independence Day. Expect your next Health & Wealth Bulletin issue on Monday, July 6. Have a safe, happy, and healthy holiday!