Food safety

The cyclosporiasis numbers released Sunday by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services are a 24% increase from the previous week.

A new recall affects jalapeño-containing dips, salsas and other prepared foods sold in Missouri and other states, with the FDA warning of possible salmonella contamination.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services released new numbers Sunday showing 1,577 people in the state have tested positive for the parasite.

Missouri health officials say the CDC has added the state to a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to lettuce grown in central Mexico, though the agency has not yet publicly announced the change.

Missouri health officials say increased testing and reporting have contributed to the case count as investigators continue searching for the outbreak's source.

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

As Gov. Laura Kelly finishes out her last term in office, seven Republicans and three Democrats are making their case to replace her. Find out about the candidates before the Aug. 4 primary. Plus: The cyclospora outbreak has some people scrutinizing where their produce comes from.

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.

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.

The Kansas health department reported a jump in cyclosporiasis, the intestinal disease that causes explosive diarrhea, from 22 infections last week to 55. It can be caused by eating fresh produce that's been contaminated by the parasite, and salad greens are a likely culprit.