With Dr. Jennifer McEntire, United Fresh Produce Association. Moderated by Billy Mitchell, National Farmer Union, FSMA Training Coordinator.
Cyclospora is a parasite unlike any of the “normal” foodborne pathogens we’re accustomed to dealing with. The pattern of illnesses occurs predictably in the spring and summer Detection is cumbersome and expensive, and when it can be “detected”, it’s difficult to tell if it’s at a point in its life cycle where it is capable of causing illness. Improvements in clinical diagnostics show us that over 1,000 people are confirmed with Cyclosporiasis each year but routes of transmission and mechanisms to kill the organism continue to elude us. This session will explain these and other challenges, and discuss the initiative underway to provide industry and regulators with answers so this perplexing pathogen can be controlled.