Will there be a cyclospora outbreak in the United States this summer? There have been multiple cyclospora outbreaks in the past nine years, including in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. This year may be no exception. In the past, Cyclospora outbreaks have been linked to fresh produce, including cilantro, raspberries, basil, mesclun, vegetable trays, bagged salad mixes, and snow peas. The cyclospora parasite is transmitted through human feces. The oocyst must mature, or sporulate, outside of the body before it becomes infectious. This infection is not passed person-to-person. It is very difficult to protect yourself against this parasite, since it can cling to produce, especially produce such as leafy greens and herbs, and is not easily washed or rinsed … [Read more...]
Now 592 Sick in the Salmonella Oranienburg Outbreak, 116 Hospitalized
There are now 592 sick in the Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak that government officials have not yet solved, according to the CDC. There have been clues, including officials finding the outbreak strain in a restaurant takeout condiment cup that contained cilantro, jalapeño peppers, onions, or limes, but nothing official has been reported. The patient case count by state is: Alabama (3), Arkansas (12), California (8), Colorado (1), Connecticut (4), Florida (5), Georgia (2), Illinois (34), Indiana (1), Iowa (3), Kansas (10), Kentucky(9), Louisiana (4), Maryland (45), Massachusetts (11), Michigan (9), Minnesota (22), Mississippi (2), Missouri (10), Nebraska (8), New Jersey (5), New Mexico (8), New York (5), North Carolina (11), North Dakota (4), Ohio (6), Oklahoma (92), Oregon (2), … [Read more...]
Minnesota Salmonella Oranienburg Outbreak Grows to 20 Sick
The Minnesota Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak has grown to include 20 patients, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Overall, at least 419 people in 35 states are sick, and 66 people are hospitalized. Government officials have not yet definitely named the food source that has caused all of these illnesses, but there have been a few clues. In the last update, the CDC said that the outbreak strain of Salmonella Oranienburg was found in a restaurant takeout condiment cup that contained cilantro, onions, and limes, and may have included peppers. While limes are probably not the source, since the pH of that fruit is too low to support Salmonella growth, the other three foods may be the culprit. There have been Salmonella outbreaks linked to all of those … [Read more...]
Is Salmonella Oranienburg Outbreak Connected to Onions or Limes?
The rapidly expanding Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak has not yet been definitively solved by the FDA or CDC, but there are clues in the latest investigation information. On Friday, September 24, 2021, the CDC said that they found the outbreak strain in a takeout condiment cup that contained cilantro, onion, and lime. Is the Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak connected to onions or lime? Information posted at the National Center for Biotechnology Information stated that cilantro has tested positive for Salmonella Oranienburg, but we don't know if the strain has been definitely established as the outbreak strain. That is probably why the CDC has not declared that this outbreak is linked to cilantro. So what about lime? The pH of this fruit can vary depending on growing conditions and … [Read more...]
Cilantro Condiment Cup Tests Positive For Salmonella Oranienburg
A cilantro condiment cup has tested positive for the outbreak strain of Salmonella Oranienburg, according to the latest update on the mystery Salmonella outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that the sample was then from a takeout condiment cup containing cilantro, lime, and onions. State and local officials have collected food items from one of the restaurants where sick people ate. But because multiple food items were ini the condiment cup and in the sample that was tested, it is "not possible" to know which food item was contaminated. Public health officials are using this information together with other information to help narrow the list of possible foods that may be linked to these illnesses. But in a dendrogram that was posted on the National … [Read more...]
Cilantro May Be the Source in Mystery Multistate Salmonella Outbreak
Cilantro may be the source in the mystery multistate Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak, according to a dendrogram on the National Center for Biotechnology Information site, part of the National Institutes of Health. According to that information, cilantro has tested positive for Salmonella Oranienburg, the bacteria that has caused this outbreak. Cilantro has been linked to many food poisoning outbreaks in the past. It is a herb that is commonly used in Tex-Mex cooking. And 43% of the cases in this outbreak are in Texas and Oklahoma. In 2015, cilantro was linked to a huge cyclospora outbreak that sickened at least 218 people in Texas and Wisconsin. And in 2014, another cyclospora outbreak was linked to fresh cilantro. The same thing happened in 2013. Going further back, in 2008, … [Read more...]
