Midwest woman catches Cyclospora parasite on honeymoon
By Jasmine Franklin
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PEWAUKEE, Wisconsin (WISN) — Cases of a violent stomach illness are surging across the country. Cyclosporiasis is a sickness that causes severe diarrhea.
Wisconsin’s Department of Health says there have been 43 reported cases in the state.
Newlywed Gretchen Pleuss, formerly of Milwaukee, caught the stomach bug during her honeymoon.
“It was just like incessant diarrhea. It was watery and constant,” Pleuss said.
The camping trip to Yellowstone National Park has been filled with a lot of stops to the bathroom.
“I felt fine until we got out here, and a couple days into camping here, I started having symptoms,” Pleuss said.
A few days into her vacation, the pain became so intense that she had to go to the emergency room.
Doctors confirmed the Cyclospora parasite is in her system.
Pleuss thinks she caught it from shredded lettuce in a sandwich.
“It feels like your intestines are really tight, like something is seizing them,” Pleuss said.
While it’s been anything but the perfect start to happily ever after, the couple is staying positive.
“It’s still our honeymoon, so we’re making the best of it. Our vows said in sickness and in health, so we’re just getting an early start on that,” Pleuss said.
She’s not alone; dozens of Wisconsinites are dealing with this stomach bug, including one woman in Pewaukee who says the pain is intense.
“Last night was the first time I was able to eat and maintain all the food I took in,” said Jacque Lebreck.
Lebreck said she thinks she caught Cyclospora from an alcoholic drink with fruit.
“It was a fruit-based drink that I had at a lovely restaurant, there were many of us that had the same drink and they all got sick as well. It’s been inconvenient, but it’s not something that’s going to kill me,” Lebreck said.
Both women are getting rid of the parasite with prescribed antibiotics.
Doctors encourage people to thoroughly wash fresh produce, especially lettuce, bagged salads, and raspberries.
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