From Food Safety News:  The latest total case count of 418 includes the 397 cases reported by CDC in an update Thursday, along with an additional 19 cases in Texas — reported to Food Safety News Thursday by a representative from the Texas Department of State Health Services, one additional case in Georgia that was counted by the Georgia Department of Public Health Thursday, according to a GDPH spokesperson, and one more case reported by Iowa Thursday.

Texas’s updated count is 132 and Iowa’s is 146.  Today’s total is 431.

Fact:  In the next few days the source of the Cyclospora outbreak will be named – a nationwide restaurant chain will explain most of the illnesses and a large bagged mixed lettuce supplier (with a Mexico connection) will be the source.

Fact:  In the interim, public health officials will continue to look foolish by hiding information from the public.

Fact:  Public Health will be diminished in the eyes of both consumers and business for its failure to act promptly and accurately in naming the source of the outbreak.

Hope:  All state health departments, CDC, FDA, FSIS, Public Health Labs and industry begin to work together in committing to more prompt, accurate and transparent foodborne illness investigations.

The CDC reports a total of 397 cases of Cyclospora infection have been reported from 16 states and 1 city. The number of cases identified in each area is as follows: Iowa (145), Texas (113), Nebraska (81), Florida (25), Wisconsin (9), Illinois (4), New York City (5), Georgia (3), Kansas (2), Louisiana (2), Missouri (2), Arkansas (1), Connecticut (1), Minnesota (1), New Jersey (1), New York (1), and Ohio (1).

However, Texas’s updated count is 132 and Iowa’s is 146.  Today’s total is 431.

Most of the illness onset dates have ranged from mid-June through early July.

At least 22 persons reportedly have been hospitalized in five states.

Nebraska and Iowa have performed investigations within their states and have shared the results of those investigations with CDC. Based on their analysis, Cyclospora infections in their states are linked to a salad mix. CDC will continue to work with federal, state, and local partners in the investigation to determine whether this conclusion applies to the increase in cases of cyclosporiasis in other states.