Cyclospora cases not yet solved

Canadian officials have yet to confirm the source of 83 cases of cyclospora illnesses, 74 of them in Ontario, five in Quebec, three in British Columbia and one in Alberta.

But the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Public Health Agency of Canada say that so far no Canadian foods have been identified as responsible for outbreaks that cross national borders.

However, I could find no notice on the CFIA website this morning. That's strange because the CFIA is in charge of policing the safety of imported foods.

There have been about 350 cases in Texas and hundreds of cases in the United States have been linked to cilantro imported from Mexico since 2012.

The Canadian cases were identified between May 9 and July 16; it’s not clear why the two agencies have only now informed the public to be careful about the prepackaged mixed salads they buy, and about basil, cilantro, berries, meslun lettuce and snow peas.

I would be practicing the greatest vigilance about cilantro imported from Mexico. That includes prepackaged salad mixes from the U.S. because processors there might be sourcing cilantro from Mexico.

Cyclospora illnesses can usually be successfully treated with antibiotics, but the very young, old and those with compromised immune systems are at greater risk.

Cyclospora are tiny parasites that can cause diarrhea. They were first identified as a major North American food-safety risk after they were identified in raspberries in the 1990s.