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.
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
