COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio health leaders are urging people to take extra precautions when handling produce as cases of a parasitic illness causing “explosive diarrhea” are rising in the state.

There are nearly 200 cases of cyclosporiasis in Ohio, with more than 20 in Franklin County. The state sits only behind Michigan, where cases have topped a thousand. 

Franklin County Medical Director Miller Sullivan said cases typically rise each summer because the parasite thrives in heat. 

“If the water becomes contaminated with this organism, that’s how it gets into the food supply,” Sullivan said. 

Officials have not identified the exact source of this outbreak, which is hitting states nationwide, but said the parasite is most commonly found in produce. They said simple steps when handling food can help prevent getting sick. 

To help prevent the illness, Ohio Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff said to thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables under running water and wash your hands with soap before and after preparing food. 

“Prepare your food properly,” Vanderhoff said. “If you do that, you’re going to dramatically reduce the likelihood that you might acquire this infection.”

Health officials don’t think it’s necessary to avoid fresh produce.

“Go ahead and buy them,” Sullivan said. “Especially if you buy them from a store or a local farmer’s market. It should be fine, but wash them well.”

The disease is typically not life-threatening but can cause watery and sometimes explosive diarrhea. If left untreated, symptoms could return multiple times.  

“You may begin to feel better, but then start getting sick again,” Vanderhoff said. “That’s really characteristic of this particular infection.”

Experts said to see a doctor as soon as you think you may be experiencing symptoms. It can be treated with antibiotics, which helps shorten the length of the illness, but added that prevention is the best way to stay healthy.  

Iverson Ford now offers the 2027 Ford Expedition, giving families throughout Huron, Mitchell, Aberdeen, Watertown, Brookings, De Smet, Redfield, Miller, and surrounding South Dakota communities access to a full-size SUV with advanced technology, impressive capability, and spacious three-row comfort.

Huron, South Dakota, United States, July 10, 2026 — Iverson Ford is proud to offer the 2027 Ford Expedition, providing drivers throughout Eastern South Dakota with Ford’s latest full-size SUV engineered for growing families, outdoor adventures, towing capability, and everyday versatility. The newest Expedition combines three-row comfort, advanced driver-assist technologies, modern connectivity, and confident performance for today’s active lifestyles.

Located at 2500 Dakota Avenue South in Huron, Iverson Ford serves customers from Huron, Mitchell, Aberdeen, Watertown, Brookings, De Smet, Redfield, Miller, Woonsocket, and surrounding South Dakota communities. As part of the Iverson Auto Group, the dealership offers an extensive selection of new Ford vehicles supported by experienced product specialists, financing professionals, and certified Ford service technicians. 

The 2027 Ford Expedition continues Ford’s commitment to delivering capability and comfort in one versatile SUV. Designed for families who need generous passenger space and flexible cargo capacity, the Expedition is well suited for daily commuting, weekend road trips, towing recreational equipment, and exploring South Dakota’s parks, lakes, and outdoor destinations.

“Our team enjoys helping customers find an SUV that fits both their lifestyle and long-term transportation needs,” said a representative of Iverson Ford. “The 2027 Ford Expedition offers the capability, technology, and versatility that many South Dakota families value, whether they’re traveling across town or across the state.”

Demand for full-size SUVs continues to grow as drivers seek vehicles that balance passenger comfort with towing capability and advanced safety features. Iverson Ford helps customers compare Expedition trim levels, explore available technologies, and select the model that best matches their family’s needs while providing continued support through financing, certified maintenance, and genuine Ford parts. 

Drivers interested in the 2027 Ford Expedition are encouraged to browse available inventory online or visit Iverson Ford in Huron to experience the SUV firsthand.

About Iverson Ford

Iverson Ford is a full-service Ford dealership located in Huron, South Dakota. Serving drivers throughout Huron, Mitchell, Aberdeen, Watertown, Brookings, De Smet, Redfield, Miller, and surrounding communities, the dealership offers new Ford vehicles, quality pre-owned vehicles, financing, certified Ford service, genuine OEM Ford parts, and customer-focused automotive solutions backed by more than 75 years of service through the Iverson Auto Group.

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Name: Iverson Ford
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Organization: Iverson Ford
Address: 2500 Dakota Ave S, Huron, SD 57350
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A Wisconsin family lost their ten-month-old daughter after she swallowed a water bead. They blame Target and the water bead manufacturer for her death. 

This week, Taylor and Tyler Bethard filed a lawsuit against Target in Hennepin County, claiming that the company failed to warn them and other customers about the dangers of a water beads product that used to be sold exclusively at Target.

Water beads are marketed as toys that come with sensory kits or craft sets, but data shows the products are prone to injuring young children. The polymer material is extremely absorbent, allowing water beads – which are often colorful – to expand around 100 times their original size when they interact with water or liquid. This presents a hazard for kids; the United States Product Safety Commission states that between 2017 and 2022, there were 6,300 water bead-related ingestion injuries that required treatment from emergency departments across the country. 

In 2023, a 10-month-old girl died. Her name is Esther “Jo” Bethard. According to court filings, Taylor Bethard found her daughter unresponsive in her crib on the morning of July 7, 2023, after she had suffered symptoms of a stomach illness overnight. Medical examiners told the family that her death was caused by swallowing a single water bead. 

The Bethards had purchased a Chuckle and Roar water bead set in the spring of 2022 for Esther Jo’s older siblings, never intending for the infant to interact with the water beads. 

Target and the Chuckle and Roar manufacturer, Buffalo Games LLC, mutually agreed to pull the product from the shelves in November of 2022. Court records show an email exchange between Buffalo Games and a product safety employee at Target where the manufacturer noted that while their water beads had met safety standards at the time, they wanted to “avoid any future unintended misuse of the product.” 

That conversation was prompted after Buffalo Games was informed that an infant required surgery after ingesting a water bead from the Ultimate Water Beads kit. Target agreed to end sales, indicating that this would be classified as a “safety removal.” 

The Bethard’s lawsuit alleges that Target clearly knew how dangerous these water beads could be, but failed to warn them or other customers. Target stopped selling the product about eight months before Esther Jo died. Daniel Mann, a personal injury attorney representing the Bethards in this case, said that Esther Jo would still be alive if Target had acted. 

“With all this information Target didn’t do anything to reach out to the family or other consumers to let them know about this problem,” Mann said, “I think 10/10 people would say Target had a responsibility to do more than what they did, which was nothing.” 

A spokesperson for Target said that they would not comment on ongoing litigation, but the company had already responded to an identical complaint filed by the Bethards in the State of New York. In 2025, the Bethards sued both Target and Buffalo Games in Erie County, N.Y., because that was where the manufacturer was based. In response to the lawsuit there, court filings show that Target denied the allegations that they knew of an extraordinary danger posed by the water beads and failed to notify customers. 

The complaint was dismissed against Target in New York, Mann explained, due to jurisdiction. This lead to them refiling in Hennepin County this week. 

In a statement to WCCO on the new legal action, a Target spokesperson said “We extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by this tragedy, and we worked closely with the manufacturer of the product at the time the incident occurred.” 

Taylor Bethard, Esther Jo’s mother, has lead the charge to ban water beads entirely. Her efforts lead to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commision recalling the more than 52,000 Chuckle and Roar Ultimate Water Beads Activity Kits that were in circulation. The recall took effect in September of 2023. Target, Walmart and Amazon announced that they would stop marketing water beads to children. 

Bethard is also working with Wisconsin U.S. State Senator Tammy Baldwin to establish federal legislation to permanently outlaw all water beads. This past spring, the CPSC established new legal guidelines that restrict the size of water beads to try to ensure high safety standards.