The outbreak has been linked to fresh basil that was imported from Mexico and served at various restaurants in Florida, Minnesota, Ohio, and New York, with at least 132 people sickened across 11 states.
Those restaurants include Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida; Outback Steakhouse in Hermantown, Minnesota; City Market in Rochester, Minnesota; and other restaurants.
Many of the customers who reported illnesses ate at Coopers Hawk between June 11 and June 15. The incubation period for a Cyclospora parasitic infection ranges from 2 to 14 days.
The symptoms of an infection include frequent bouts of watery diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, bloating, loss of appetite, fever, body aches, and weight loss.
One lawsuit was filed by Andrew M., a man from Florida who ate salad at Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant on June 11. After being infected with Cyclospora, he missed a significant amount of work and needed medical treatment. He lost 14 pounds as a result of his illness.
Another lawsuit was filed by Lekeysha B., a woman from Florida who claims she was infected with Cyclospora after eating at Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant at the Markets at Town Center in Jacksonville.
A third lawsuit was filed by James W., a man from Georgia who ate at the same Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant in Florida where lawyers say that dozens of other people were infected with Cyclospora.
The lawsuit says he was forced to seek medical attention for a “debilitating illness” that lasted for weeks before he was properly diagnosed. Despite receiving proper treatment, he claims he has still not yet fully recovered from the infection.
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