Parasites in bagged salad mix sicken hundreds in Midwest, CDC says
Health officials are investigating a “multistate outbreak” of Cyclospora infections after eating from bagged salad mix containing carrots, red cabbage and iceberg lettuce.
So far, 122 people have been infected between May 11 and June 15 from seven states including Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin, according to an update uploaded Tuesday from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The agency said 19 people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported. Infected individuals are between the ages of 16 and 92.
Based on interviews with infected individuals, the bagged salads were purchased from ALDI, Hy-Vee, and Jewel-Osco stores, the update said, and some brands have since been recalled.
Of those taken off the shelves are ALDI’s Little Salad Bar brand Garden Salad, Hy-Vee brand 12-ounce bagged Garden Salad and Jewel-Osco Signature Farms brand 12-ounce bagged Garden Salad.
“Check your home for any of these recalled salads. Throw any remaining salad away, even if some of it has been eaten and no one has gotten sick,” the CDC said. “If you live [in the affected states] and don’t know whether the bagged garden salad blend you have in your home is one of these recalled salads, do not eat it. Throw it away.”
The agency said the bagged salad mixes from the stores reported by infected individuals are “a likely source of this outbreak,” but they “do not explain all of the illnesses.”
“CDC and [the U.S. Food and Drug Administration] continue to investigate to determine whether other products are a source of illnesses in this outbreak,” the update said.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by a microscopic parasite found in contaminated food or water, the CDC says. Small outbreaks are common in the summertime.
“Symptoms may include watery diarrhea (most common), loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating, increased gas, nausea, fatigue, vomiting (less common), and low-grade fever (less common).”
Symptoms start about a week after eating the contaminated food, and without proper treatment, they can persist for several weeks to a month, the agency said.
If you feel like you have a Cyclospora infection, health officials say you should write down what you ate in the two weeks prior to getting sick, and speak with your healthcare provider.
A common antibiotic can help infected individuals recover.
This story was originally published June 23, 2020 at 3:54 PM.
