HEALTH OFFICIALS DECLARE END TO LARGEST CYCLOSPORA OUTBREAK IN HISTORY

The Hill

 

Health officials declare end to largest cyclospora outbreak in history

by Nathaniel Weixel - 09/11/26 3:16 PM ET

 

The country’s largest outbreak of cyclosporiasis has ended, federal health officials said Friday.

 

The foodborne illness linked to contaminated lettuce sickened 12,883 people across 21 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with more than 500 people hospitalized. Two people died in Michigan, which was the hardest-hit state, though health authorities said they had “significant underlying health conditions.”

 

The lettuce, supplied by Taylor Farms in Mexico, is no longer available in stores or restaurants.

 

“At this time, there is no risk of people getting sick with cyclosporiasis from this source,” CDC wrote in the agency’s final update on the outbreak.

 

Once federal officials began linking the illnesses to Taylor Farms lettuce in mid-July, the company voluntarily recalled products from the market.

 

At the peak of the outbreak, before the recall, more than 1,000 infections occurred in a single day. Fewer than two infections per day on average occurred in August, CDC said. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), most of the illnesses tied to the outbreak began before the Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce recall was announced July 17.

 

The CDC is still investigating several case clusters of the parasitic illness nationwide. Including the multistate outbreak, CDC has received reports of 19,595 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis acquired in the United States.

 

The FDA said it is continuing its investigation into the outbreak, including how the product became contaminated with cyclospora. Last month, the agency sent inspectors to the Taylor Farms processing center and lettuce farms in northeastern Mexico.

 

In a letter to industry leaders, FDA’s acting deputy commissioner for food, Donald Prater, urged companies to invest more in cyclospora prevention and to follow food safety regulations.

 

Cyclospora is a difficult parasite to track, and the incubation period of illness can take up to two weeks after food is consumed, meaning people would need to remember what they ate weeks earlier. Lettuce is also a highly perishable food, so by the time a potential source is identified, consumers have often either eaten or thrown away the affected product.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENS WHEN YOU FLUSH

New York Post

 

Horrifying study shows what really happens to the air when you flush — and toilet ‘loading’ matters

By Rachel Sacks

Published Sep. 9, 2026, 10:45 a.m. ET

 

An invisible danger lurks in your bathroom.

 

Bathroom hygiene often focuses on what you touch — wash your hands properly, clean your towels and bathmats often and consider investing in a bidet.

 

Recent research, though, has unveiled a horrifying threat that’s unleashed into the air every time you flush.

 

Researchers at Flinders University reviewed 22 previously published studies of aerosols released when a toilet is flushed.

 

When water rushes around the bowl, turbulence throws microscopic droplets up into the air that contain bacteria, viruses and other biological material, such as fecal matter, from the toilet water.

 

Some of the studies included in the review detected these particles more than five feet above the floor — within many people’s breathing zones — and found some even remain airborne for at least 20 seconds after a flush.

 

And more microbial “loading,” or higher levels of bacteria in the toilet water, meant more amounts of invisible bacterial spray in the air.

 

Every tenfold increase in microbial concentration in the water was linked to around 2.6 times asmuch bacteria the amount in the air.

 

Many of the particles ranged in size from 0.3 to 10 micrometers, with a majority under 3 micrometers, remaining small enough to stay airborne and potentially be inhaled.

 

The review also found that flushing energy, or the amount of water in the bowl that’s being flushed down, contributed to the presence of bacteria in the air, with an additional liter of water associated with roughly a 1.3-fold increase.

 

Previous studies have even made the invisible spray visible to demonstrate just how far it can reach.

 

A 2022 study from the University of Colorado used a laser exhibit to create a visual representation of a commercial toilet launching aerosols to a height of about 1.5 meters in a matter of eight seconds.

 

However, closing the lid may not make too much of a difference.

 

A 2024 study in the American Journal of Infection Control found that although putting the lid down before flushing trapped larger particles, it did nothing for more microscopic ones, allowing them to escape through gaps between the lid, seat and bowl.

 

The more recent review also found limited evidence that the lid position made a difference in the air plume.

 

Researchers still recommend closing the lid as a precautionary measure to help somewhat prevent toilet “loading” from ending up in the air.

 

Additionally, regular toilet cleaning, handwashing and using the lower-volume option on dual-flush toilets can reduce the spread of germs.

 

While these are all feasible in a private home bathroom, the flush plume is concerning in public restrooms, with further research needed to develop interventions to reduce toilet-generated aerosols.

 

AH: This is why it's crucial for people to boost their immune systems. 

THE REAL REASON THE NEPAL GLACIER COLLAPSED

New York Post

 

Mount Everest glaciers are under threat and melting — thanks to climbers relieving themselves

By Ben Cost

Published Sep. 4, 2026, 10:05 a.m. ET

 

Urine trouble, Mount Everest.

 

After standing the test of time for 50 million years, the world’s tallest mountain is under threat from an unlikely source: our pee.

 

Urine deposited on glaciers is enough to melt over 150 tons of ice and snow on Mount Everest every year, according to an a-thaw-calyptic study in the Regional Environmental Change scientific journal, as reported by the Independent.

 

“Urine, with a temperature of around 37°C (human body temperature), causes the ice to melt,” wrote the study authors, who were sent by Nepal’s Survey Department to determine the impact of humans on Everest.

 

The international team of scientists studied the Khumbu Glacier, the home of the Everest base camp on the mountain’s Nepalese side. Hundreds of people congregate there each year before attempting to summit the 29,035-foot wonder.

 

These throngs have turned this majestic pinnacle into a “Burning Man”-esque tent city producing disruptive noise, Himalayan trash mounds, and of course, mountains of human waste.

 

While climbers have been required to pack out their poop in bags since 2024, climbers still relieve themselves directly onto the ice.

 

The researchers focused on the spring season in 2023, when roughly 2,000 people descended upon base camp, situated some 17,958 feet above sea level, the Daily Mail reported.

 

According to their calculations, the pee generated by the enthusiastic climbers totaled roughly 3.181 liters (0.8 gallons) per person. That means on a 50-day journey, the overall leakage hits 338,299 liters — more than 89,000 gallons.

 

The researchers estimated that the heat from heeding nature’s call could melt around 154 tons of ice in a single season.

 

When coupled with the thousands of gallons of gas used for heating and cooking, that figure jumped to 2,492 tons — enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

 

“The increasing number of climbers, trekkers and support staff, particularly at the campsite area, has intensified environmental impacts on the Khumbu Glacier,” the researchers wrote.

 

There’s one caveat to this trickle-down theory: The calculation assumes that all the heat from human pee transfers to the ice, which might not be true.

 

“This estimate is likely to represent an upper bound, as it does not account for heat losses through percolation into debris, runoff, incomplete heat transfer, or other dissipative processes that are difficult to quantify under field conditions,” the team wrote.

 

Nonetheless, the scientists are calling for Everest Base Camp to a dryer spot with less melting potential.

 

“Relocating the base camp to an ice–free site could help to mitigate human–induced glacier melt while fostering more sustainable mountaineering practices,” they wrote. “If implemented, relocation could reduce the stress on the Khumbu Icefall, enhance expedition safety, and contribute to a more resilient mountain ecosystem.”

 

Unfortunately, Everest is under threat from more than mountaineers making water.

 

The face is reportedly littered with more than 50 tons of trash, earning it the moniker “the world’s highest garbage dump,” according to National Geographic.

 

Last year, Nepal even shelved a scheme to have Everest adventurers bring their own trash down for cash after it failed to show tangible results, the BBC reported.

 

Part of the problem is that climbers would only haul back refuse from lower camps and not from the higher slopes, where the trash was most plentiful.

 

Therefore, the idea got binned.

TRAINING FOR CELA PATRONS SEPTEMBER 2026

This is our training bulletin for CELA users for the months of September and October. All our webinars are free for CELA patrons. We will be adding other webinars to this list throughout the fall.

1. Envoy Connect: An accessible and affordable audiobook player

   This webinar will provide a basic introduction to the Envoy Connect player, a portable, affordable and easy-to-use device to listen to CELA's audiobooks. This webinar is for both library staff and CELA patrons who want to learn more about this device.

   This webinar will cover:

   ·       Basics of the Envoy Connect Player: what it is, how it works, etc.

   ·       How to manage books on the Envoy Connect with the CELA Connect software.

   ·       Where to find learning resources or purchase the player.

   To register for the online Zoom webinar please select the link below and fill in the registration form. To attend by phone, please call the Contact Centre at 1-855-655-2273.

   Tues Sept 15 2:00-3:00pm EDT

    

2. Ask Us! Come chat with CELA staff and have your questions answered

   This hour long interactive conversation gives CELA users an opportunity to ask questions related to using CELA’s library services. We encourage you to bring your questions and learn from CELA staff, as well as to share experiences with other CELA patrons in the audience. This Q&A aims to support how you access the books, magazines and newspapers in CELA’s multiple format collections for people with print disabilities.

   To register for the online Zoom webinar please select the link below and fill in the registration form. To attend by phone, please call the Contact Centre at 1-855-655-2273.

   Tues Oct 6 7:00-8:00pm EDT
    

3. Getting Started with Accessible Reading Canada: Listen to CELA Audiobooks with Alexa

Join us for a live webinar introducing Accessible Reading Canada, a new way for CELA patrons to enjoy CELA audiobooks using Alexa-enabled smart speakers. This 60-minute session will walk you through how to use voice commands to search, browse, and listen to audiobooks from your CELA Direct to Player Bookshelf using the Accessible Reading Canada Alexa skill.

This webinar will cover:

• What Alexa-enabled smart speakers are and how they work
• How to set up and use the Accessible Reading Canada skill
• How to use voice commands for browsing and reading
• Where to find help guides and additional support

After the presentation, there will be a Q&A session to ask additional questions. This session will be recorded.

To register for the online Zoom webinar please select the link below and fill in the registration form. To attend by phone, please call the Contact Centre at 1-855-655-2273.

Tues Oct 27 3:00-4:00pm EDT

To register for a training session, select the link with the webinar date and time. (You will need to adjust the times for your region - all times given on the website are in Eastern Time.)

Once you have registered, you will receive your own individual link to join the webinar, with the option of adding the information to your calendar.

Recorded versions of previous webinars are available on our Webinar recordings page.

For information on upcoming patron webinars, see the Webinars for you page on the CELA website.

We hope you will join us. Please contact CELA if you have any questions.

CELA Member Services
1-855-655-2273, press 2
members@celalibrary.ca  
celalibrary.ca
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Centre for Equitable Library Access CELA webinars for patrons Subscribe to the CELA YouTube channel

 

NEW WAY TO READ MAGAZINES AT CELA

Dear CELA User CELA is pleased to announce a new addition to our magazine offerings.   As a pilot project a few of our popular magazines are now available as audio magazines, created using an AI voice.  With AI voice technology, we are able to offer readers access to a human-sounding audio magazine shortly after the magazine is published.  We will run this pilot project for one year using 5 magazines: Canadian Living, AppleMagazine and Newsweek in English and Lire and Coup de Pouce in French. All these magazines are also available in other formats if you prefer not to use the AI voiced option and we will continue to offer our popular 11 human-narrated magazines.   You can find a list of the AI voiced audio magazines on our magazines page. In our catalogue you can search for the magazine title and filter the results using magazine, and DAISY audio options. Use the data added filter to narrow your results even further.   You can subscribe to any magazine on the Magazine subscriptions page under My Account to receive new issues on your bookshelf as soon as they are available.  AI voiced magazines are DAISY audio files and can be read in the same way you would access any other audio books or audio magazines, including in Dolphin EasyReader, on DAISY players, and Envoy Connect.  Our goal with this pilot project is to determine if this option is one our users enjoy, and will use. To do this, we are launching a survey which requests feedback on our magazines in general, and on the AI voiced magazines specifically. If you are interested in providing feedback our survey is available and open until September  21, 2026.   We know how important human narration is to our users and that in some cases synthetic audio can be a deciding factor about whether or not users choose to read certain materials. The AI voiced narrations give us an option to improve the experience of users when human narration isn’t possible or effective. For magazines, especially news based magazines, it’s important that users have timely access in order to stay informed and read the content when it is relevant. Our hope is that our users will engage with these magazines and provide us with honest feedback about the experience.   We anticipate that CELA users will have questions about this new option. You can find more information, including answers to some important questions on our blog.     To find AI voiced magazines, please visit our magazine page.   The survey about our magazines and the new AI voiced magazines is now available.   For more information about the AI voiced pilot project, please visit our blog.  We look forward to your feedback.   Laurie Davidson, Executive Director, CELA 1-855-655-2273 help@celalibrary.ca      Centre for Equitable Library Access celalibrary.ca

CYCLOSPORIASIS OUTBREAK MAY NOW INDIRECTLY CAUSE CONSTEPATION

New York Post

 

The No. 2 complication of the explosive diarrhea outbreak isn’t what we expected

By McKenzie Beard

Published Sep. 3, 2026, 11:50 a.m. ET

 

Americans’ poop problems aren’t over yet.

 

An “explosive diarrhea” parasite had thousands of people glued to the toilets this summer — while countless others began steering clear of fresh produce for fear of catching the nasty bug.

 

Now, weeks after the stomach-churning outbreak made headlines, doctors are warning of an unexpected side effect of the Cyclospora scare — and, unfortunately, it also involves No. 2.

 

This time, however, the problem isn’t going too much. It’s not going at all.

 

Rather than expelling “pure water” nonstop, as many people with cyclosporiasis have reported, a growing number of people trying to avoid the infection are dealing with painful constipation.

 

“When you go from eating salads and fruit regularly to cutting it out completely, your fiber intake takes a significant hit and this can impact your bowel movements,” Dr. Rabia de Latour, a gastroenterologist who works with MiraLAX, told The Post.

 

That’s because fiber, when paired with enough water, gives stool the bulk and softness it needs to make a smooth exit.

 

“When you deprive your gastrointestinal tract of the fiber, this can result in constipation and harder, difficult to pass stools,” de Latour explained.

 

In more severe cases, she said stools may become smaller and lose their usual shape, even taking on an appearance similar to “rabbit pellets.”

 

Federal health officials are still digging into the Cyclospora outbreak that tore through 20 states this summer, sickening thousands, hospitalizing hundreds and killing at least two people.

 

The source was traced back to tainted iceberg lettuce supplied to chains like Taco Bell by Taylor Farms de Mexico, with contaminated greens also turning up in bagged salad kits at major retailers.

 

Taylor Farms pulled all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico off US shelves in July and issued a recall — but by then, the damage to America’s trust in the produce aisle was done.

 

Widespread fear of infection, paired with confusing early guidance from health officials, led many to stop eating fruits and vegetables altogether, since Cyclospora is highly resistant to chemical disinfectants and practically impossible to rinse away entirely.

 

The nasty stomach bug can survive being frozen or even doused in bleach. The only way to actually kill it is cooking food to at least 158°F.

 

“I have a lot of friends and acquaintances reaching out to me seeking guidance on what is ‘safe to eat’ with the ongoing cyclospora outbreak,” de Latour said. “Many of them spent weeks avoiding almost all fruits and vegetables.”

 

That can backfire fast.

 

“Food moves through our entire gastrointestinal tract to be broken down, digested, absorbed and waste byproduct produced (poop), taking anywhere from 24 to 72 hours total,” de Latour said. “If you were to make a large adjustment to your diet, results could be seen in this similar time frame.”

 

The good news is that the offending lettuce is past its shelf life and out of circulation, so de Latour expects new cases to keep dropping.

 

“That being said, Americans are still experiencing food anxiety and hesitancy and many people are still avoiding iceberg lettuce when precut and bagged,” she noted.

 

For the still-nervous, de Latour suggests eating spinach or getting whole heads of iceberg from a farmers market — and washing it from a farmers market. She would also avoid other foods that have historically been linked to cyclosporiasis like snow peas, raspberries, parsley and cilantro.

 

Once you start eating fiber again, de Latour said stools should bulk back up and constipation should ease within 24 to 72 hours — but if not, you can try an osmotic laxative

 

“If you continue to experience symptoms despite this intervention and there is longevity to your symptoms, there might be more to your constipation beyond dietary influences and you should seek medical attention to have it thoroughly worked up,” she said.