This week’s outbreak information from the Food and Drug Administration updates the numbers of patients confirmed in two Cyclospora outbreaks. These two specific clusters of illnesses are part of the CDC’s total count of domestically-acquired cases of cyclosporiasis in the United States. Overall, more than 800 people in 34 states have been confirmed infected by the microscopic parasite.
Also, the FDA reports that it still has not been able to identify a specific brand or flavor of cake mix associated with a 12-state outbreak of E. coli infections. The outbreak is considered ongoing, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not posted an update since June.
The table below shows ongoing outbreak investigations being managed by FDA’s CORE Response Teams. The investigations are in a variety of stages. Some outbreaks have limited information with active investigations ongoing, others may be near completion or concluded. The table below has been abbreviated to show only active investigations.
The Food and Drug Administration will issue public health advisories for outbreak investigations that result in “specific, actionable steps for consumers — such as throwing out or avoiding specific foods — to take to protect themselves,” according to the outbreak table page.
Not all recalls and alerts result in an outbreak of foodborne illness. Not all outbreaks result in recalls.
Outbreak investigations that do not result in specific, actionable steps for consumers may or may not conclusively identify a source or reveal any contributing factors, according to CORE’s outbreak table page. If a source(s) and/or contributing factors are identified that could inform future prevention, FDA commits to providing a summary of those findings, according to CORE officials. Click here to visit the FDA page that has a complete list of outbreak investigations and links to outbreak information.
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