Contaminated Mexican Cilantro Sickens Hundreds in the U.S.

August 5, 2015 4:57 AM EDT

Cyclosporiasis, a painful and uncomfortable parasitical stomach ailment, has affected more than 380 people in 26 states after a batch of Mexican cilantro was found to be contaminated with human waste, the Centers for Disease Control and FDA says.

According to the two federal agencies, the outbreak began on May 1 and is likely caused by “contact with the parasite shed from the intestinal tract of humans” in the fields where contaminated cilantro plants were grown in Mexico’s Puebla state, al-Jazeera America reports.

The news comes after the FDA placed a partial ban on cilantro from the region in late July. Authorities investigated up to 11 farms and found toilet paper and feces in many of the fields. They also found that many of these farms lacked adequate toilet facilities, AJAM says.

According to AJAM, it’s not the first time cilantro from Mexico’s Puebla state has caused widespread illness. The herb has been linked to outbreaks of the stomach condition in 2012, 2013 and 2014 as well.

[AJAM]

You Asked: Your Top 10 Health Questions Answered

**You Asked: Are Cleanses Healthy?** Potions that claim to clear your body of toxins might sound alluring, but do they deliver?Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME

You Asked: Is Dessert Bad For Me? — **You Asked: Is Eating Dessert Really That Bad For Me?** Bad news for sweet-eaters—except if you end your meals with this kind of treat.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME

**You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth?** Yes, teeth whitening actually works—but here's why you have to dish out major bucks to see results.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME

You Asked: Is Meditation Worth It? — **You Asked: Is Meditation Really Worth It?** From easing stress to lowering heart disease risk, focusing your mind can do some amazing things for your body.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME

**You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Sweetener?** Take a taste of the unsettled science of sweeteners.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME

**You Asked: Should I Go Paleo?** The pros and cons of eating like a caveman.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME

**You Asked: Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad?** Here's what really happens to your joints when you snap, crackle and pop.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME

**You Asked: Is Running on a Treadmill as Good as Running Outside?** You'll fool your body into thinking it's outside with this one small treadmill tweak.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME

**You Asked: Does Laughing Have Real Health Benefits?** Here's proof that everybody could use a belly laugh.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME

**You Asked: What Is My Poo Telling Me?** If you listen hard enough, you'll hear all kinds of health stories from #2.Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME

Contaminated Mexican Cilantro Sickens Hundreds Across the U.S.

You Asked: Your Top 10 Health Questions Answered

More Must-Reads from TIME