A Fresh Express cyclospora lawsuit has been filed by the law firm of Pritzker Hageman in Illinois on behalf of a female who was sickened after eating a bagged salad purchased from a ALDI store. Their client, a type 1 diabetic, was hospitalized because she was so ill. A multistate cyclospora outbreak has sickened at least 509 people in eight states in the Midwest. Thirty-three people have been hospitalized, according to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA. The salad products that are potentially lined to this outbreak are produced by Fresh Express and contain iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, and red cabbage. These recalled salads were sold under these brand names at these stores: ALDI Little Salad Bar, Hy-Vee, Jewel-Osco Signature … [Read more...]
Cyclospora Reappears in Texas
Texas has again been hit by a Cyclospora outbreak. Each year since 2013, produce contaminated with the parasite Cyclospora has sickened Texans during the summer months. Recently, more than a dozen cases of infections from the parasite have been reported in North Texas counties, according to NBC 5 in Dallas - Ft Worth. Illnesses have been reported from Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties, according to the station. A food source has not yet been identified. Cyclospora is a parasite normally found in subtropical climates. Symptoms of an infection form the parasite, called cyclosporiasis, include profuse, often explosive, diarrhea that can last for as long as 70 days. Other cyclosporiasis symptoms, which can also last 70 days, include abdominal cramps, bloating, gas, nausea, … [Read more...]
Cyclospora Outbreak Over After Sickening 546 People
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that the Cyclospora outbreak that has sickened 546 people in 31 states this summer is over. The last illness onset date was August 22, 2015. Cyclospora cayetanensis is a single-celled parasite that causes an infection in the intestines. Clusters of illnesses were linked to restaurants or events in Texas, Wisconsin, and Georgia. The restaurants and events have not been named. Some of the illnesses just in those states, but not all, were linked to fresh cilantro imported from Puebla, Mexico. The food or drink that caused non-cluster-associated cases has not been identified. The FDA issued an import alert on that imported cilantro on August 27, 2015. In fact, the CDC identified annually recurring outbreaks in 2012, … [Read more...]
Banned Cilantro Triggers Cyclospora Lawsuit
A dispute over banned cilantro contaminated with Cyclospora has landed in court. Produce wholesaler Farmers Friend has filed a lawsuit alleging supplier Don Hugo Produce knowingly misrepresented the origin of cilantro to skirt an FDA ban issued after cilantro from the Puebla area of Mexico was linked to a Cyclospora outbreak two years in a row. Cyclospora is a parasite that lives in subtropical climates. Infections are usually associated with travel to developing countries, but for the last couple of summers it has travelled here on cilantro grown Puebla, Mexico. The hallmark of cyclosporiasis is profuse, often explosive, diarrhea that can last up to two months. Other cyclosporiasis symptoms, which can also last more than 60 days, include abdominal cramps, bloating, gas, nausea, … [Read more...]
Cyclospora Strikes Texas for Third Straight Year
For the third straight year, Texas has been hit by a Cyclospora outbreak. The rare parasite usually associated with developing countries in tropical or sub-tropical regions has made its way to Texas on food. More than 25 counties have been affected included those surrounding the metropolitan areas of Houston, Austin, Dallas and San Antonio. In 2013 and 2014, contaminated cilantro imported from the Puebla region of Mexico was identified as the source of the outbreaks.. In 2014, at least 126 people were sickened, the 2013 outbreak included 270 Texans. When ingested in its mature state, Cyclospora causes an infection called cyclosporiasis. On average, just 150 cases are reported nationwide each year, most of them are associated with travel to developing countries. Symptoms of … [Read more...]
Cyclospora Outbreak Sickened Scores of People in Iowa, Nebraska
A Cyclospora lawsuit was filed for food poisoning in 2013 when Iowa and Nebraska were hit by an outbreak of the parasite, which was linked by the FDA and CDC to salad mix from Mexico supplied to Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants. The final analysis showed 227 people from those two Midwestern states afflicted by the contamination, which was preventable. The defective salad mix came from Mexico and five ranches in that country were ultimately inspected by the FDA in a fact-finding environmental assessment. The salad mix was produced by a processor of foodservice salads, Taylor Farms de Mexico. Food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker and his firm, PritzkerOlsen Attorneys, represent more than 60 case patients of this outbreak and his team can be contacted for a free consultation on how … [Read more...]
Cyclospora Cases Reach 283 Sickened Across U.S.
The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) is reporting an increase in cyclospora cases around the country. Now at least 283 people are sick in 21 states as of August 12, 2014. That is an increase of 48 cases compared to last week. One hundred sixty, or 57%, of the cases were reported in Texas. Of those people, at least 116 Texas patients did not travel during the two weeks before they got sick. Cyclospora is endemic in sub-tropical regions. If the patients did not travel to those areas, they most likely got sick by eating a contaminated food. More patients are being interviewed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to discover what percentage of cases are linked with travel. Most of the cases were reported in July. Maine and Massachusetts are … [Read more...]
Multistate Cyclospora Outbreak Sickens 202 People
According to Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), there is a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora going on right now that has sickened at least 202 people in 19 states. Last year a huge Cyclospora outbreak sickened at least 621 people in 25 states. Some of those cases were never solved; one group was linked to produce imported from Mexico. There have been 77 more cases reported in the last week. More than half of the cases are in Texas, which has 110 of the ill persons. The counties affected in Texas include Dallas (21 cases), Tarrant (11 cases), and Harris (8 cases), among others. Six more states reported cases, which brings the total of affected states to 19, along with New York City. The latest states to report cases are Michigan, Minnesota, … [Read more...]
Outbreak of Cyclospora in Texas
The Tarrant County Public Health Department (TCPH) announced on their Facebook page that there is an outbreak of Cyclospora that has sickened at least 69 people in northern Texas within the last month. Reports of this illness always increase in the summer, but this news comes almost a year to the day when a huge cyclosporiasis outbreak sickened at least 631 people in 25 states. Most of those illnesses were linked to contaminated produce that was imported from Mexico. Public health officials are encouraging healthcare providers to test patients for cyclosporiasis if they have diarrhea that lasts more than a few days, or diarrhea that is accompanied by weight loss, loss of appetite, or fatigue. Nine cases have been reported to TCPH this month; the county has only had one case since … [Read more...]
MMWR Notes From the Field on the Cyclospora Outbreak
The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) has released its report on the cyclospora outbreak that sickened more than 600 people in the U.S. this summer. During June through August 2013, there were 643 cases of the parasitic disease reported from 25 states. Texas had the most cases with 278, followed by Iowa at 153 and Nebraska at 86. By comparison, in 2012 there were 123 cases of cyclosporiasis in the United States for the whole year. In Iowa and Nebraska, the outbreak was linked to salads imported from Mexico by Taylor Farms de Mexico served at Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants. But the Texas outbreak stumped public health officials for weeks. The CDC worked with state and local doctors and researchers in Texas to investigate the outbreak in that state. They … [Read more...]
