Why You Don’t Need to Avoid Fruits, Veggies During the Cyclospora OutbreakWritten by Corrie Pelc — Fact checked by Jill Seladi-Schulman, Ph.D. Tracking the Cyclospora Explosion: What You Need to Know as Cases Surpass 10,000 Nationwide In 47 StatesWhy is cyclospora linked to fruits, vegetables? Fruits and vegetables can harbor the cyclospora parasite if they’re grown using water contaminated with human feces. Health risks of avoiding fruits, veggies Eating enough fruits and vegetables each day is essential for good health. How to properly wash your produce Safe food-handling practices can help lower the risk of a cyclospora infection.