Sixth cyclosporiasis case reported in Mississippi
JACKSON, Miss. —
A sixth cyclosporiasis case has been reported in Mississippi, according to state health officials.
The Mississippi State Department of Health didn’t say where the most recent parasitic infection was reported, but the previous five were on the Coast, Delta and Pine Belt.
The Food and Drug Administration remains focused on lettuce from Taylor Farms as the source of a multistate outbreak of the diarrhea-causing parasite, despite inaccurate test results that the government said was the result of a false positive.
“FDA’s traceback investigation and the outbreak data continue to converge on shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms’ locations in central Mexico,” FDA’s acting food chief, Donald Prater, told reporters on Monday.
Deputy State Epidemiologist Theresa Kittle stressed the importance of taking precautions to avoid the illness.
“The best ways to do that are to wash your hands with soap and water after using the restroom, and for your fresh produce, make sure that you thoroughly wash it before you consume it,” Kittle said. “Cutting away any bruises on the produce is a good idea and make sure to refrigerate your food within two hours of prepping it.”
Symptoms of the illness include watery diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and loss of appetite. Symptoms usually take at least one week to appear.
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