The CDC has been notified of over 380 confirmed cases of the infection, says the U.S. FDA in a statement on its website. FDA says it is investigating the latest outbreak of cyclosporiasis.
The agency says it has not identified a “conclusive vehicle” for the latest outbreak, but preliminary investigations found that cilantro from the state of Puebla, Mexico was supplied to restaurants at which some of those who have become ill ate.
Fresh cilantro from Puebla has been linked by health officials to the 2013 and 2014 annual cyclosporiasis outbreaks as well.
U.S. officials recently implemented a partial ban on imports of the herb from the area, after human feces and toilet paper were found in growing fields and around facilities.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Kroger Co. are pulling some cilantro from stores, reports Bloomberg.
The 2015 outbreak has been confirmed in over 25 states, with clusters of illness identified in Texas, Wisconsin, and Georgia, says the agency.
The parasite, Cyclospora cayetanensis, infects the small intestine, typically causing watery diarrhea, and frequent, sometimes explosive, bowel movements. It is spread by ingesting something, such as food or water, contaminated with feces.
If untreated, those infected could experience no symptoms at all, or have them come and go, or have them last from a few days to a month or longer.
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