Restaurants Pull Produce as Cyclospora Outbreak Tops 840 CDC Cases
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 11
Restaurants Pull Produce as Cyclospora Outbreak Tops 840 CDC Cases
3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 11
Summary
Local restaurants in Michigan and Oklahoma are already dropping or re-washing high-risk produce such as lettuce, kale, parsley, tomatoes and onions as Cyclospora cases climb.
840-plus cases were logged by the CDC as of July 9, but state counts point higher; Michigan alone has identified more than 1,500 cases and 44 hospitalizations.
Chipotle said it is monitoring the outbreak and does not believe its sourced ingredients are implicated, while other major fast-food chains and the National Restaurant Association did not immediately comment.
Experts say diners should be especially cautious with fresh fruit, leafy greens and salad bars because Cyclospora can persist despite routine chlorine cleaning and simple rinsing may not remove it.
Investigators still have not identified a single source, raising the possibility of multiple contaminated products or several overlapping outbreaks during the usual summer cyclospora season.