Cilantro may be culprit in cyclospora outbreak totaling 358 illnesses
Cilantro may be culprit in cyclospora outbreak totaling 358 illnesses
WASHINGTON — The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention is reporting that, as of July 30, there are 358 people confirmed with cyclosporiasis across 26 states in an outbreak that may be tied to fresh cilantro.
Most of the illnesses began around May 1, and health officials have been investigating clusters of illnesses in Texas, Wisconsin and Georgia.
“Cluster investigations in Wisconsin and Texas have preliminarily identified cilantro as a suspect vehicle,” CDC said.
FDA, along with Texas and Wisconsin officials, found that cilantro from the state of Puebla, Mexico, was supplied to restaurants where some of the victims ate, and tainted cilantro from the region has been suspected in previous outbreaks.
“The investigations are ongoing, and a conclusive vehicle for the contamination has not been identified,” FDA cautioned.
However, FDA and Mexican officials are “enhancing the safety of fresh cilantro with produce-safety controls on both sides of the border,” FDA said. Mexican officials are instituting export controls for cilantro from Puebla, and FDA issued on July 27 an import alert that detains shipments from April through August each year, unless they’re on a Green List of approved companies.
“Shipments of fresh cilantro from other states in Mexico will be allowed to enter and to be released into the United States if sufficient documentation is submitted with at entry demonstrating that the cilantro was harvested and packed outside of Puebla,” FDA said.
Signaling growing concern about the latest development, the United Fresh Produce Association, Produce Marketing Association, Fresh Produce Association of the Americas and the Texas International Produce Association scheduled a briefing July 31 with FDA officials on the effect of the import alert.
