Bagged Salad May Be Causing Cyclospora Outbreak Across the U.S.

Eating greens should be healthy but bagged salad is being investigated as health officials think it may be the source of a cyclospora stomach bug outbreak that has given hundreds of people digestion problems such as diarrhea

According to CBS, 372 people had developed a cyclospora infection, or cyclosporiasis, as of July 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. There have been outbreaks in at least 16 states including Iowa, Texas, Nebraska, Florida, Wisconsin, Illinois, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio.

The majority of the cases were found in Iowa. There were 143 cases of cyclospora in the state. The Iowa Department of Public Health believes bagged salad is to blame as investigators found that 80 percent of the people who had the stomach bug had eaten the prepackaged salad mix.

The brand and manufacturer of the salad mix have not been named, but health officials say the mix contains iceberg and romaine lettuce, carrots and red cabbage. It is no longer available in Iowa's food stores.

The FDA has not yet confirmed that the bagged salad is actually the cause of the outbreak

"FDA will continue to work with its federal, state and local partners in the investigation to determine whether this conclusion applies to the increased number of cases of cyclosporiasis in other states," the agency said in a statement. "The goal will be to combine information collected from other affected states with that provided by the state health authorities in Iowa to identify a specific food item linked to the illnesses."

The federal health group is also investigating other possibilities. A seven-person team is focusing on this particular outbreak.

"This is labor intensive and painstaking work, requiring the collection, review and analysis of hundreds and at times thousands of invoices and shipping documents," the FDA said.

Cyclosporiasis is caused by a parasite found in food and water. In addition to diarrhea, it causes bloating, fever, stomach cramps, and muscle aches. The FDA recommends that people should practice safe food preparation by washing hands, utensils and surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after handling food and thoroughly washing all fresh produce before eating it.