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More than 200 people were infected with an intestinal parasite after supposedly eating vegetables from vegetable trays Fresh Del Monte Produce, federal authorities said:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported that There were 212 cases of infection, cyclosporosis, in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin as of Thursday
Infected persons reported eating prepackaged vegetable trays , which included broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and dill dip. Most trays were purchased at Kwik Trip or Kwik Star convenience stores in these states, according to the CDC
Del Monte and Kwik Trip could not be immediately contacted for comments on Saturday.
Cyclosporosis outbreaks in the United States have been linked to imported fresh produce contaminated with a microscopic parasite called Cyclospora cayetanensis. The infection first became important in the United States during an epidemic in the mid-1990s, and has increased almost every year since, the C.D.C.
The infection can cause many stomach-related illnesses, fever and fatigue, and symptoms usually appear a week after consuming contaminated food. This means that the number of cases could continue to increase as more and more people start reporting their illnesses.
It is also one of the main reasons why cyclosporosis is so difficult to understand, said Michael T. Osterholm, professor at the University of Minnesota and an international expert on foodborne illnesses.
"By the time the cases are detected, the product has long since disappeared," he said. "It's very difficult to trace."
He said that he suspected the number of cases was much higher than the 212 confirmed up to here by health officials.
In 1996, more than 1,000 people were disgusted by cyclospora parasites, catching health officials were caught off guard and prompted them to step up food testing to try to trace the source of the epidemic .
Since then, outbreaks of cyclospora have been associated with raspberries, basil, snow peas, snow peas, coriander and cabbage. In 2013, more than 600 cases of cyclosporosis in a dozen states were linked to a mixture of salads.
Osterholm, director of the Center for Research and Policy on Infectious Diseases at the University, said the prevalence of infection was related to an increase in imports from Central America and South and Mexico, but that the source of the infection remained uncertain. According to the CDC, the parasite was probably absorbed by the feces. But Dr. Osterholm said that we still do not know exactly how and why the product is contaminated.
"We need to know what it's all about," he said. "Is it wildlife?"
Outbreaks usually occur in May and June, which could indicate that they are related to an animal's life cycle.
"We're not stopping them today more than us."
Last month, Del Monte recalled three of its products to stores in six Midwestern states: six, twelve, and nine. 28 ounce vegetable platters containing broccoli, cauliflower, celery, carrots and dill dip. All these products had a "best time before June 17".
Recalls have affected Illinois and Indiana, in addition to the four states where infections have been reported. C.D.C. encouraged people to throw one of the recalled vegetable trays.
Federal agencies investigating the outbreak, the C.D.C. and the Food and Drug Administration, investigating on several fronts, analyzing when and where people got sick, and which grocery stores or restaurants people might have frequented.
The process can be difficult. A survey conducted last year on more than 1,000 cases of cyclosporosis did not reveal how the infection had spread or whether it was part of an epidemic or an outbreak. several small epidemics.
Texas declared Monday that she was separately studying 56 cases of cyclosporiosis that health officials had found since the beginning of May. It was not known if these cases were related to those reported in the Midwest.
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