"Explosive Diarrhea" Trending in Tampa Bay

"Explosive Diarrhea" is Trending in Tampa Bay (And It’s Not Just The Taco Bell)

If your news feed looks like a Pepto Bismol ad this week, there’s a reason. A gut-wrecking parasite called Cyclospora is ripping through Florida, and the "explosive" headlines are backed by some nasty data.

The Dirty Details:

The Surge: Florida hit 96 confirmed cases this week—nearly doubling in just seven days.

Local Hits: Tampa Bay has logged around 15 cases so far: with 3 in Pinellas, 3 in Hillsborough, and 4 in Polk.

The Culprit: It’s a microscopic parasite usually found on fresh produce (cilantro, bagged salads, berries) that has been contaminated with, well, feces.

The Science: This isn't a 24-hour bug. It lingers for weeks, causing "watery, frequent, and explosive" bathroom trips, plus bloating that’ll make you sound like a brass band.

Where It Stands: Health officials are still playing detective. They haven’t pinned it on one specific grocery store yet, but since it’s officially "Cyclospora Season" (May–August), the heat is making the parasite thrive in produce soil.

Pro-Tip for Pinellas: Scrub your produce like you’re cleaning evidence off a crime scene. If you've been "exploding" for more than three days, stop reading this and call a doctor.