The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made a statement Thursday, announcing that an outbreak of cyclosporiasis has sickened 212 people in four states since May, with seven of those individuals having been hospitalized. Illnesses linked to Del Monte vegetable trays have been reported in Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The outbreak is linked to Del Monte vegetable trays with fresh broccoli, cauliflower, celery sticks, carrots and dill dip. A recall of these 6-,12- and 28-ounce trays in clear, plastic clamshell packaging that contain these items was issued on June 15. The trays have a "Best if used by" date of June 17, 2018 and were sold at Kwik Trip, Kwik Star, Demond's, Sentry, Potash, Meehan's, Country Market, FoodMax Supermarket, and Peapod stores in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by the cyclospora parasite. People are infected by consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite. Federal, state and local health officials are working to identify which food item on the trays is the culprit and the source of the contamination.
Separately, Texas health officials are investigating 56 reported cases of cyclospora infection since the beginning of May. "The Department of State Health Services is working with local health departments around the state and in other states seeing an outbreak, to gather information about the cases and determine whether there is a common source for the infections," the agency said in a statement.
Source: edition.cnn.com
