Federal officials are investigating three new foodborne illness outbreaks involving three different pathogens, but virtually no details are being released.
At least 55 people total are already confirmed as patients in the three outbreaks, with the infections caused by Cyclospora, E. Coli O121 and Salmonella Typhimurium, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
As of 3:30 p.m. EDT today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had not posted any announcements about any of the outbreaks, but a spokesperson told Food Safety News information was pending.
Neither the FDA nor the CDC have revealed what states are involved in any of the new outbreaks.
The Cyclospora outbreak is the largest with 32 patients included in the ongoing investigation. The FDA’s weekly investigation table includes a qualifying statement about the outbreak.
“This cluster represents a subset of the total number of domestically-acquired cases of cyclosporiasis cases in the U.S.,” according to the outbreak table, but no information about the total number of cases is provided.
FDA investigators have initiated product traceback efforts in the Cyclospora outbreak and have collected samples for testing, but the agency has not reported any other details. The FDA outbreak table does not include information about what foods or beverages are involved in outbreaks.
E. Coli and Salmonella outbreaks
There is even less information about the E. Coli O121 and Salmonella Typhimurium outbreaks than for the Cyclospora outbreak.
Fifteen patients are confirmed infected in the E. Coli O121 outbreak and eight people are confirmed sick in the Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak.
The FDA has not begun traceback or testing in either the E. Coli or Salmonella outbreaks.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)
