Remember the Cyclospora outbreak? A source for most of the illnesses had not been discovered when federal investigators last issued an update about a month ago. At that point, the outbreak had sickened 643 people in 25 states.
The source of the 153 illnesses in Iowa and 86 illnesses in Nebraska has been identified as contaminated salad mix from Taylor Farms of Mexico served at Red Lobster and Olive Garden restaurants. But investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who do think the same mix is responsible for illnesses in others states, have yet to find a source for the 400 illnesses in the 23 other states. CDC investigators have said they believe the illnesses may be separate concurrent or overlapping outbreaks.
By state the case count is as follows: Texas (278), Iowa (153), Nebraska (86), Florida (32), Wisconsin (17), Arkansas (13), Illinois (13), New York (9), Georgia (5), Missouri (5), Kansas (4), New Jersey (4), Louisiana (3), Massachusetts (3), Minnesota (3), Ohio (3), Virginia (3), Connecticut (2), California (1), Michigan (1), New Hampshire (1), Pennsylvania (1), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (1), and Wyoming (1).
Those who contracted cyclosporiasis range in age from less than one year to 92 years old, with the median age being 52 years. At least 45 people were hospitalized.
