The CDC has updated the Cyclospora outbreak again; now 636 people are ill and 45 people have been hospitalized. That’s an addition of 20 cases since the last update was issued two days ago. The next update from the government will be on September 4, 2013.
Cyclospora is a single-celled parasite that causes an infection called cyclosporiasis. Symptoms include watery and explosive diarrhea, fatigue, stomach cramps, loss of appetite, weight loss, bloating, increased gas, vomiting, fever, and headache. The time between infection and symptoms is usually about 1 week. Since the Cyclospora oocyst isn’t infective immediately when it’s passed in feces, but takes a few days to sporulate and become infectious, this disease isn’t usually passed from person to person, but through contaminated food.
The official CDC case count per state is as follows: Texas (282), Iowa (156), Nebraska (86), Florida (32), Wisconsin (16), Illinois (11), Arkansas (10), Georgia (5), Missouri (5), New York City (5), Kansas (4), Louisiana (3), Connecticut (2), Michigan (1), Minnesota (2), New Jersey (4), New York (2), Ohio (2), Virginia (3), California (1), New Hampshire (1), South Dakota (1), Tennessee (1), and Wyoming (1). Some of the states have cases acquired in other states, and one case may be travel-associated.
The outbreak in Iowa and Nebraska has been linked to a salad mix produced by Taylor Farms de Mexico and served at Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants. Taylor Farms de Mexico stopped production, but has since resumed shipping product to the U.S. with FDA approval. The analysis of cases in Texas shows no connection to Taylor Farms de Mexico. Evidence also suggests that not all of these cases are directly related to each other.
