Who’s most at risk in the cyclospora outbreak? The farmworkers on the front lines.
An expert on migrant farmworker health describes how this population has been blamed and put at risk, but seldom understood.
The cyclosporiasis outbreak sweeping through the United States has raised questions about who is most at risk. While the focus has been on the contaminated food supply and farmworkers' working conditions, food safety experts argue that the answer lies in the water used in the industrialized food chain. Some agricultural regions treat sewage water for irrigation, a practice legal in nearly half of U.S. states, especially in drought-prone areas.
However, unhygienic water sources could be the culprit, but this remains under investigation. The Migrant Clinicians Network, representing farm laborers, warns against stigmatizing this vulnerable population, citing their already challenging living and working conditions. The group emphasizes the importance of understanding the broader environment in which food is grown and processed, from harvesting to processing and selling, to prevent further contamination.
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