The basil cyclospora outbreak has ended, according to the FDA, with 241 sick in 11 states. Exposures occurred in five states: Minnesota, Florida, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Six people were hospitalized because they were so sick. A recall was issued for basil imported from Mexico.
The basil was exported to the U.S. by Siga Logistics de RL de CV, which is located in Morelos, Mexico. The basil imported by that company was recalled on July 24, 2019. The firm has been cooperative with the investigation, and stopped production and distribution when the outbreak was discovered.
Patients live in these states: Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. There is no information on the number of cases in each state, or the patient age range. The FDA did also not provide information on illness onset dates, although the last person got sick on July 26, 2019.
You can call attorney Fred Pritzker for help at 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
Food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker, who has represented many clients sickened with this parasite, said, “No one should get sick just because they ordered a meal made with fresh basil. These people can be ill for months through no fault of their own.”
Cyclospora is a parasite that contaminates fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables. There have been cyclosporiasis outbreaks in the U.S. every summer for the past few years. While some of these outbreaks have been linked to imported products, some are linked to produce harvested in the United States.
CDC’s analysis of epidemiologic information found that contaminated fresh basil is the likely source of this outbreak. Fresh basil available at points of sale were patients got sick was exported by Siga Logistics. FDA has increased import screening on basil and will continue to investigate the cause and source of this outbreak, as well as the distribution of products.
Symptoms of cyclosporiasis include loss of appetite, stomach cramps and pain, weight loss, bloating, increased gas, fatigue, vomiting, headache, and low grade fever. The most frequent symptom is explosive and unpredictable diarrhea. This illness can apparently resolve, then relapses can occur more than once.
If you have eaten fresh basil this summer and have been ill with these symptoms, see your doctor. You need to request a cyclospora test, since they are not routinely ordered. You may be part of this cyclospora basil outbreak.
