Federal officials announced Friday that the cyclospora outbreak that has sickened dozens of people across the country is linked to pre-packaged salads produced by Taylor Farms de Mexico and sold at U.S. restaurants.
So far, the protozoan has been found in at least two states, Iowa and Nebraska. The salad mix blamed came from Mexico and was served at eateries like Red Lobster and Olive Garden restaurants, said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.
The federal agency traced the "illness clusters" to four restaurants identified as Red Lobster and Olive Garden locations, reports CNN. The probe didn't find indications that any bags of salad mix were sold at U.S. grocery stores.
Darden, the parent company for Olive Garden and Red Lobster released a statement, saying, "Nothing we have seen prior to this announcement gave us any reason to be concerned about the products we've received from this supplier. Iowa and Nebraska health authorities have said this is not an ongoing outbreak and the product is no longer in the food supply in those states. The health and safety of our guests is our top priority, and it is completely safe to eat in our restaurants," reports CBS News.
There had been 146 cases of cyclospora inspections, an intestinal illness tied to a rare type of parasite, reported in Iowa, according to the state's public health department. There were 82 reported cases in Nebraska.
What's happening in Iowa and Nebraska may be linked to 140 cyclospora cases in Texas, said the state's department of health services Friday.
People get the disease by eating food or drinking water that's been contaminated with feces with the parasite, according to the CDC.
The ailment causes symptoms such as diarrhea, weight loss and nausea that can last anywhere from a few days to more than a month.
Treatment for cyclospora infection includes a combination antibiotic known as trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra).