Posted on 07/28/2015 6:39:42 AM PDT by Red Badger
LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) -
An intestinal parasite outbreak that has been causing illness all across the state of Texas may have been caused by cilantro from the Puebla area of Mexico.
The Texas Department of State Health Services has received reports of 205 cases caused by the parasite Cyclospora, including one here in Lubbock.
An import alert from the FDA says, "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health officials have identified annually recurring outbreaks (in 2012, 2013, and 2014) of cyclosporiasis in the United States which have been associated with fresh cilantro from the state of Puebla, Mexico. There is currently (in July 2015) another ongoing outbreak of cyclosporiasis in the United States in which both the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection have identified cilantro from the Mexican state of Puebla as a suspect vehicle with respect to separate illness clusters."
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by consuming food or water contaminated with the Cyclospora parasite. The major symptom is watery diarrhea lasting a few days to a few months. Additional symptoms may include loss of appetite, fatigue, weight loss, abdominal cramps, bloating, increased gas, nausea, vomiting and a low fever. People who think they may have a Cyclospora infection should contact their health care provider.
DSHS recommends thoroughly washing fresh produce, but that may not entirely eliminate the risk because Cyclospora can be difficult to wash off. Cooking will kill the parasite.
Last year, Texas had 200 cases, some of which were associated with cilantro from the Puebla region in Mexico.
RELATED LINK: FDA Import Alert
I love cilantro and we eat a lot of Mexican food. Yes I grow my own.
Looks like Trump was right once again.
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