cyclospora

At least 460 people in Kansas have become ill this summer due to an outbreak of the cyclospora parasite. Nicole Belote of Hutchinson alleges she became “extremely ill” after eating a Taco Supreme and spent three days in the hospital.

Food safety experts say contaminated water in farm fields is a likely culprit. But questions still remain about the current outbreak.

A parasite that causes severe diarrhea has sickened more than a thousand people in Kansas and Missouri. Federal officials are still investigating the cause of the outbreak, but it’s making some people scrutinize where their produce comes from.

Cases of the intestinal illness, which can cause explosive diarrhea, rose to nearly 300 this week in Kansas, up from 55 last week, according to numbers from the state.

Missouri health officials said they are confident the number of reported cases reflects exposure to contaminated food inside the state. But investigators are still working to identify the source of the outbreak.

Taylor Farms, a vegetable producer linked to the outbreak, issued a recall of iceberg lettuce shipped to 27 states, including Missouri.

Missouri still has far fewer reported cases of cyclospora, the parasitic infection than other Midwest states. Cylosporiasis symptoms include nausea and watery diarrhea.