As many as 200 people may have gotten sick from basil sold by an upscale grocer with stores in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Investigators are still tracing where the basil was grown but FDA officials said it was unlikely that it was domestic. Health officials say little is known about cyclospora, a waterborne parasite first identified in Nepal in the late 1970's. Until 1996, most cases in the U.S. were among international travelers. Cyclospora hits hard after a week's incubation, doctors said, causing diarrhea, fever and vomiting, then moving to intermittent diarrhea, persistent fatigue and weight loss.
Symptoms can last for six or more weeks.
The sickness can be cured in a week with sulfa drugs. The food safety problem comes as U.S. imports of fresh fruits, vegetables and meat have doubled in the past five years. At the same time, a recent government study showed the annual number of food inspections by FDA has dropped since 1981 to 5,000 from 21,000, largely due to budget cuts. Consumer groups say federal regulators need to identify produce that poses food safety challenges for developing countries and implement appropriate restrictions. The American Chemical Society has just catalogued its 10 millionth man-made chemical.