Number of cyclospora infections up in Texas, Canada, U.K.

Investigations continue into cyclospora outbreaks in Texas, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

In Texas, the number of reported cases has increased to 102, up from 88 cases on Aug. 16, Christine Mann, press officer for the Texas Department of State Health Services, said in an e-mail.

Fifty percent of those reporting said they had traveled, 31% reported no travel, and 19% are pending investigation, Mann said. Cyclospora infections have been reported in 31 Texas counties.

In Canada, 66 cyclospora infections have been reported, up from 51 on Aug. 11, according to a notice on the Public Health Agency of Canada website. Imported produce is of interest in the investigation. The notice said the infections, which have been reported in four provinces, were locally acquired.

In the United Kingdom, a cyclospora outbreak has been linked with Mexico, with 320 cases reported since June 1 and 230 of those reporting travel to Mexico, according to a notice on the Public Health England website. There were 204 cases - 148 said they had traveled to Mexico - reported in the original notice Aug. 10.

Public Health England has also implicated fresh produce as a likely source of the outbreak, warning travelers to Mexico to refrain from eating fresh items.

"If possible, choose freshly prepared food that is thoroughly cooked and served piping hot," Katherine Russell, head of travel and migrant health at Public Health England, said on the site. "Certain foods should be avoided such as fresh uncooked berries, unpeeled fruit and salad items as these can be difficult to clean."

The sources of the outbreaks are still unknown. Mann previously declined to say whether Texas authorities were collaborating with agencies in other countries on their investigation.