New York Probes 500-Case Cyclosporiasis Surge as Food Source Remains Unknown
Updated
Updated · Gothamist · Aug 20
New York Probes 500-Case Cyclosporiasis Surge as Food Source Remains Unknown
3 articles · Updated · Gothamist · Aug 20
Summary
More than 500 cyclosporiasis cases have been reported in New York City since May, and officials still have not identified the food source despite a mid-July peak and recent decline in lab-confirmed infections.
Health investigators are tracing what patients ate, inspecting restaurants and stores for common suppliers, and sending findings to the CDC, but the parasite’s up-to-two-week incubation period makes outbreaks hard to pin down.
State officials say New Yorkers do not need to overhaul their diets, urging thorough washing and, for worried consumers, cooking produce—while some food-safety experts are avoiding raw vegetables and packaged salads.
More than 800 cases have been reported statewide this summer, roughly triple the city’s usual mid-July level; only a handful were tied to recalled Taylor Farms lettuce, and those were linked to out-of-state travel.