Prepackaged Salad Mixture Contaminated

Feeling a little queasy after that salad? Well you're not alone. Health officials in Iowa and Nebraska have found a prepackaged salad mix that has led to an outbreak of cyclospora, leaving hundreds ill, according to The Huffington Post.

Cyclospora is a parasite that typically causes gastrointestinal issues and flu-like symptoms, and so far 78 people in Nebraska and 145 people in Iowa have been affected. They still aren't positive if all of the cases are linked to the same source of the salad mix.

The salad mix that seems to be the culprit is a romaine and iceberg lettuce mixture with carrots and red cabbage, but a brand has not been specified. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration are still working to figure out what brand is the one causing issues, but what is known is that most cases have been linked to these store-bought pre-mixed salads. Steven Mandernach, one of Iowa's top food-safety inspectors, has said that the parasite may have spread through contaminated water onto farm fields.

News and health officials are urging people to rinse lettuce even if it says it's already been washed to avoid any chances of coming into contact with the parasite, which is a good rule of thumb in general.