Bagged Salad Cited as Source of Stomach Bug Outbreak, Health Officials Reveal
Health officials revealed that the recent outbreak of parasite-borne food poisoning in several states across the Midwest was due to contaminated prepackaged salad.
"The evidence points to a salad mix containing iceberg and romaine lettuce, as well as carrots and red cabbage as the source of the outbreak reported in Iowa and Nebraska," Steven Mandernach, chief of the Food and Consumer Safety Bureau of the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, said in a statement.
At least 372 people in 15 states have been sickened by the rare parasite since June.
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The Food and Drug Administration is investigating the cyclospora infections, although the exact cause of the stomach bug is still officially unidentified.
The CDC has reported that the infection has now spread to people in Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, Wisconsin, Georgia, Connecticut and New Jersey.
The stomach bug causes diarrhea and other flu-like symptoms, and has hospitalized at least 10 people, according to the CDC, with a majority of the illnesses occurring between mid-June and early July.
The cyclospora infection is reportedly found most often in tropical or subtropical countries and have been linked to imported fresh produce in the past.
The Food and Drug Administration are still investigating, but are not yet clear on whether the cases emerging from each state are connected to the same outbreak, or whether they are independent of one another.
The stomach bug is caught usually when people ingest foods or water contaminated with particles of feces
The CDC announced that the number of infected people increased from 200 to 250 with an announcement on Tuesday, but the body has warned that the number is likely to increase further.
