Food borne outbreaks tend to be more common in the summer
months. This one is catching a few lifting
eyebrows, but since only 200 US cases confirmed perhaps just passing reference.
Outbreak
notification
Lets put a different spin on it. First, there are at least 8
Canadian cases between BC and Ontario that are also likely linked. While there are vague allusions to various
fresh products including berries, herbs and lettuce, there is no definitively identified
food that is associated with the illnesses. That there are recommendations to wash fresh
produce is something that isn’t clearly established as being effective.
Only a small number of organisms is sufficient to result in
infection. Up to 70% of children have
asymptomatic infections. Adult symptoms
are common, start acutely, are quite discomforting and can be protracted. Deaths are rare. Person to person transmission is very
uncommon, almost all cases are associated with food consumption. Washington
DoH
Treatment is usually required, unlike most other causes of
diarrheal infections or foodborne disease.
Once again we have a developing situation, where the focus
of attention is on fresh produce, the perceived healthy alternatives – not on
the traditional food items like dairy, meat and poultry where the vast majority
of our food safety resources are directed.
The number of Cyclospora outbreaks just seems to be creeping
upwards, but beyond case reports, concrete statistics don’t seem easy to come
back. Please post a link if you have
access to a compendium of outbreaks.
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