Nebraska dealing with two foodborne illness outbreaks

Nebraska is dealing with two outbreaks of food-borne illness.

On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially added Nebraska to the list of states that are connected to an outbreak of cyclosporiasis that is linked to lettuce recalled by Taylor Farms that was served at Taco Bell restaurants.

The CDC and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services both reported that the state has confirmed the 92 cases linked to outbreak.

Overall, according to the CDC, there are more than 6,300 cases in 15 states linked to the recalled Taylor Farms lettuce.

On July 17, Taylor Farms recalled certain iceberg lettuce products sourced from Central Mexico. The CDC has advised people not to eat recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico. Anyone who still has the recalled products should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase.

In Nebraska, DHHS said there have been 218 cyclosporiasis cases in the state, with 191 of those having been domestically acquired.

Lancaster County has reported 46 confirmed cyclosporiasis cases, and Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Director Kerry Kernen said her department is working with state and federal officials to determine how many are linked to the national outbreak.

"We conducted in-depth interviews with residents who became ill and looked for potential commonalities among cases," Kernen said in a statement. "Information gathered in our investigations showed a correlation with the shredded iceberg lettuce.”

Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the Cyclospora parasite, which is typically spread through contaminated food or water, most commonly fresh fruits and vegetables. Previous outbreaks have been linked to bagged salad mixes, fresh cilantro, fresh basil, raspberries, snow peas, and green onions. It is not spread from person to person. Symptoms usually develop one week after exposure and include watery diarrhea, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, bloating, stomach cramps, and nausea. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks or longer and may come and go.

Overall, there have been nearly 10,500 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis in 47 states since May 1, with another 12,255 suspected but unconfirmed cases. More than 500 people have been hospitalized and there have been two deaths.

DHHS did not say whether anyone in Nebraska has been hospitalized.

The second outbreak is being caused by salmonella and is linked to jalapeno peppers.

The CDC said nearly 350 people in the U.S. have been sickened across 27 states, including five in Nebraska.

The potential source has been traced to jalapeno peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors. The peppers were served at Chipotle and Qdoba restaurants.

Thirty-six people have been hospitalized, although it’s not clear if any of those were in Nebraska.

Most people infected with salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Symptoms can start as early as six hours after swallowing the bacteria or as late as six days. Most people recover without treatment after four to seven days, but the disease can lead to complications in young children, elderly people or those with compromised immune systems.