BREAKING NEWS: MINNESOTA - Bad Basil Sickens Some In Twin Ports
No Ongoing Risk, Health Department Says
Written By: News Tribune | Jul 26th 2019
Imported basil sickened nine people at two restaurants in the Twin Ports in June as part of a multi-state cyclospora illness outbreak, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
The department said there were four lab-confirmed cases from Outback Steakhouse in Hermantown and five cases from meals catered by Duluth Grill at a Duluth conference. There were 26 confirmed cases at City Market in Rochester. None of the Minnesota cases required hospitalization.
"It's important to note that the illnesses are the result of contaminated imported food product, not anything the restaurants did or did not do," department spokesman Doug Schultz said. "We have no evidence of any ongoing risk at the restaurants involved."
The contaminated basil was exported from Mexico to the United States by Siga Logistics de RL de CV, according to the Food and Drug Administration; the company has agreed to a voluntary recall.
There have been four hospitalizations out of 132 total illnesses in 11 states since the cyclospora outbreak was first reported in late June, according to the FDA. The last reported illness came on July 9.
Cyclospora is a parasite that is transmitted when infected feces contaminated food or water and can take about a week from infection to sickness; symptoms include diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea and fatigue.
Lead Photo: Basil seedlings. Credit: extension.umn.edu