VULNERABLE. Webster defines it as "open to attack or damage." In the wake of a recent food safety scare, California strawberry growers can provide a first-hand definition of exactly what vulnerable means. The food safety scare in this case had nothingto do with pesticides. Instead, it was a microscopic parasite that caused alarm. Cyclospora cayetanensis is a one-celled protozoan that can cause diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramping, and vomiting. It is relatively obscure, especially in the U.S. Transmission of the parasite is generally linked to poor sanitation -- it can be carried in feces which could in turn contaminate a water source.
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