Cyclospora cases rise to 425 as feds add investigative help
The number of patients sickened in a multistate Cyclospora outbreak has climbed to 425, according to an update today from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The number of affected states remained at 16, with Iowa, Texas, Nebraska, and Florida as the hardest hit. So far 24 patients have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.
On Aug 2, the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) reported 140 cases, 13 more than the 127 shown for the state in today's CDC total, which would boost the national total to 438. Most of the illness onset dates range from the middle of June through early July.
The CDC said it's not clear if illnesses from all the states are part of the same outbreak. Illness clusters linked to restaurants in Iowa and Nebraska have been traced to a prepackaged lettuce mix from a Mexican production facility that packages produce for the food service industry. The facility is one of 11 plants owned by Taylor Farms, a Salinas, Calif.–based company.
In recent updates, federal officials said they were directing more resources toward investigating the outbreak. The CDC said it has dedicated a team of epidemiologists and other experts to work on the outbreak full time and deployed an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer and a Public Health Prevention Service fellow to Texas to help that state investigate its cases. So far the TDSHS has not found a common source for the infections.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in an Aug 3 update that Mexican food regulatory authorities were collaborating with it on the investigation. The agency has also assigned a 21-person team at its headquarters to help solve the outbreak.
Aug 5 CDC update
Aug 3 FDA update
Aug 5 TDSHS update
Aug 2 CIDRAP News story "FDA: Salad cited in Cyclospora cases came from Mexican supplier"
Berry-related hepatitis A outbreak up to 158 cases
An update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the number of cases of hepatitis A linked with a frozen berry mix containing pomegranate seeds now numbers 158 from 10 states, 5 more cases and 1 more state (New Jersey) than reported in the last update Jul 25.
States reporting cases include Arizona (23), California (77), Colorado (28), Hawaii (8), New Hampshire (1; exposure occurred in Nevada), New Jersey (1,in a household contact of a case in Colorado), New Mexico (9), Nevada (6), Utah (3), and Wisconsin (2; exposure occurred in California).
Patient ages range from 1 to 84 years, with 90 (57%) between 40 and 64 years. Hospitalization was required in 69 cases, but no one has died.
Illness onset dates range from Mar 31 through Jul 14. Six of the case-patients are household contacts of other case-patients.
The food source identified in the outbreak is Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend, which was recalled by Townsend in June. All of the patients so far bought the product at Costco, but it is sold through Harris Teeter stores as well.
The berry mix contains pomegranate seeds from Giknur Foodstuffs Import Export Trading in Turkey, considered to be the most likely vehicle for the hepatitis virus.
Aug 2 CDC update