Staying Fit
Bagged salad mixes are being recalled amid an investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health authorities into a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal infection caused by a parasite.
The recalled salad mixes linked to the infections were produced by Fresh Express and sold at Walmart, Aldi, Hy-Vee, and Jewel-Osco stores in 12 states: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Check your home for any of the recalled salad mixes and throw away any remaining salad, even if it has been partially consumed and no one has gotten sick, the CDC recommends.
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So far, according to federal health authorities, there have been 206 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclospora infections in eight of those states: Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Although there have been no deaths, 23 people have been hospitalized. Known cases from this outbreak began to show up between May 11 and June 17.
Symptoms of cyclosporiasis start an average of seven days after ingesting the parasite. Symptoms include diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating, increased gas, nausea and fatigue. If an infected person is not treated, symptoms can persist for several days to a month or more.
If you think you are infected, the CDC recommends that you speak with your health care provider, write down what you ate in the two weeks before getting sick, report your illness to the health department, and assist public health investigators by answering questions about your illness. The infection is treated with antibiotics.
