Canada Wildfires, Parasitic Diarrhea Continues To Impact New York

New York is dealing with two separate health headaches at the same time, one falling from the sky, the other hiding in your food.

Still, none of the radio stations will play the song

Here's a quick update on both.

Wildfire Smoke: Brief Relief Friday, Then It's Back

a foggy skyline with a tall building in the distance — Photo by Ahmer Kalam on Unsplash

The toxic haze from Canadian wildfires that has been choking the Hudson Valley is expected to let up, at least for a little while. Local weather expert Ben Noll says a shift in the winds Friday should push the worst of the smoke south of the region, giving New Yorkers a much-needed breather.

For all the news that the Hudson Valley is sharing, make sure to follow Hudson Valley Post on Facebook, and download the Hudson Valley Post Mobile App

"On Friday, smoke is predicted to blow away south of the region. While it engulfs the Mid-Atlantic, the Northeast and New England will probably get a break," Noll wrote on Facebook.

Don't get too comfortable, though. The smoke is expected to return by Saturday.

The expected Saturday rain could actually make things worse by dragging the smoke down closer to ground level. Noll's Saturday forecast? "Rain with a side of smoke."

Parasitic Diarrhea: Over 500 New Yorkers Infected, CDC Zeroing In On Source

On the other side of the health ledger, the CDC is getting closer to identifying the source of a massive parasite outbreak that has sickened thousands of people across 34 states, including more than 500 right here in New York.

The illness is called cyclosporiasis, and it causes "intense diarrhea" along with other uncomfortable symptoms. Health officials are now pointing to shredded iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico and supplied to Taco Bell by California-based Taylor Farms as the likely culprit.

There's good news for Taco Bell fans living in New York. The tainted shipments only went to locations in five Midwestern states: Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, and Kentucky.

New York Taco Bell locations were not part of that distribution. It remains unclear why so many New Yorkers have still been infected.

As a precaution, Taco Bell has already pulled Taylor Farms lettuce from all of its locations nationwide.

Ways To Improve Indoor Air Quality During Wildfire Smoke

Wildfire smoke can have both short and long-term impacts on your health. Here's what the EPA recommends when it comes to improving air quality during periods of heavy wildfire smoke in your region.

Gallery Credit: Lauren Wells

How to Protect Yourself from Wildfire Smoke

If you’re in Utica, Herkimer, or anywhere across the Mohawk Valley, here’s how to protect your lungs (and your sanity) on smoky days:

Gallery Credit: Unsplash/TSM

10 Tips To Prevent Wildfires

Smokey The Bear said it best, "only you can prevent wildfires." Well, it's a lot easier said than done, Smokey. Great name for a bear trying to warn us about fire hazards, by the way.

In order to prevent wildfires, you have to first know how they can be prevented. Here are 10 tips provided by the Department Of Interior that will help you in your every day life, so you can enjoy being outside, camping, and having bonfires without it turning into a problem.

Here are their 10 tips, along with some simplified explanations from me.

Gallery Credit: Cort Freeman

Filed Under: New York News

Categories: Hudson Valley News