Christina Hart, a 29-year-old Tennessee-based food reviewer known for hosting "The Locally Owned Series," recently shared her harrowing experience with cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection currently impacting thousands across the United States.
Hart, who has built a following of nearly 160,000 on TikTok, described the illness as "just miserable," noting that the term perfectly encapsulates the physical and mental toll the infection took on her life.
Initially, Hart suspected she was suffering from food poisoning or a standard stomach virus. However, when her symptoms persisted for over a week, she sought medical advice. After seeing news reports regarding the rise of cyclosporiasis, she specifically requested testing for the parasite, which ultimately returned a positive result.
Her recovery was slow; she remained ill for three weeks and did not start feeling like herself until the three-and-a-half-week mark.
The severity of the infection was unexpected. Hart reported losing 17 pounds during her illness and struggled with significant bloating, despite having a limited appetite. She described the experience of losing control over her bodily functions as frightening, explaining that the constant need to be near a restroom made it impossible to go out in public or maintain her normal daily routine.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the infection is known to cause frequent, watery diarrhea, explosive bowel movements, nausea, cramps, bloating, and low-grade fevers.
As of early August, the CDC has confirmed more than 10,000 cases of cyclosporiasis across 47 states. Michigan has reported the highest number of cases in the country, with health officials there confirming the first two deaths linked to the ongoing outbreak.
While Hart now feels "fantastic" and back to normal, she admitted that the illness created a significant mental burden, particularly because she had to pause her content creation schedule.
Hart, who typically posts two to three episodes per week, feared that her absence would cause her audience to lose interest. She found it difficult to explain her disappearance to followers, noting that telling people she was "stuck in the bathroom" was not exactly pleasant.
Despite these concerns, her decision to speak openly about her diagnosis resulted in an unexpected surge in engagement.
Hart noted that sharing the "whole parasite thing" actually helped grow her platform, opening new doors for her career. While she remains grateful for the growth, she emphasized that the illness itself was a deeply unpleasant ordeal that she would not wish on anyone.
"That's when I went to the doctor's. I got tested. I saw the headlines of cyclosporiasis and I'm like: 'I'm having those symptoms. I need to make sure I ask for that testing.' Came back positive," she said. "I was sick for three weeks with it. And then around the three-and-a-half-week mark, I started feeling better."
"The timestamps in between having to go (to the bathroom) was a little extreme for me," she explained. "That kind of stopped me from just living my everyday life because I was scared to go out in public. I'm like, 'What if I have to go?' Because you lose complete control. It's not a fun experience … you will need to be near a restroom if you have it."
