Bagged Salad Linked To 13 Cases Of Illness In Minnesota

MINNESOTA — Bagged garden salad sold at stores including ALDI and Hy-Vee has been linked to a multi-state Cyclospora outbreak that has led to 76 reports of illness and 16 hospitalizations. A total of 13 cases of illness have been reported in Minnesota, non requiring hospitalizations.

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a parasite that can cause an intestinal illness called cyclosporiasis that's spread when infected feces contaminate food or water. No deaths have been linked to the cyclosporiasis outbreak.

So far there are confirmed cases in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Minnesota.

The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued safety alerts Friday "recommending that consumers should not eat, and restaurants and retailers should not sell or serve" the recalled products, including:

• ALDI Little Salad Bar Brand Garden Salad, which were sold in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and Missouri.
• All Hy-Vee Brand Garden Salad sold in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Nebraska.

Most people infected with Cyclospora develop diarrhea. Other common symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps/pain, bloating, increased gas, nausea and fatigue, as well as vomiting, body aches, headache fever, and other flu-like symptoms. If not treated, the illness may last from a few days to a month or longer, Jewel said.

Consumers who have purchased the product are asked to discard it or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.

Shannon Antinori, Patch staff, contributed to this report.