Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Linked to Human Feces, Toilet Paper in Mexican Cilantro Fields
An outbreak of cyclosporiasis in Texas has been linked to human feces and toilet paper found in cilantro growing fields in Puebla, Mexico, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.
As a result, Mexican cilantro is being detained at the border and products from Puebla cannot enter the U.S. without inspections and certification, NBC News reported.
So far, there have been 205 cases of cyclosporiasis in the Texas outbreak. Last year, there were 200 cases of cyclosporiasis in Texas during an outbreak also linked to cilantro from Puebla.
No recall has been issued, but shoppers are being advised to ask their grocer about the origin of cilantro in stores and to thoroughly wash all fresh produce, NBC News reported.
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Four Kroger Brand Spices Recalled
Four Kroger brand spices have been recalled by the grocery chain due to possible salmonella contamination.
The recall includes Kroger Ground Cinnamon, Kroger Garlic Powder, Kroger Coarse Ground Black Pepper and Kroger Bac'n Buds, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
The four products were made on the same equipment in the same facility. Food and Drug Administration testing detected salmonella in a sample of Kroger Garlic Powder from a store in North Augusta, S.C.
No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recalled products, according to the Enquirer. Consumers who bought the products are being told not to consume them and to return them to a store for a full refund or replacement. For more information, phone Kroger at 800-576-4377.
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Selfie With Rattlesnake Leads to Huge Medical Bill
A San Diego man ended up with a $153,000 medical bill after trying to take a selfie with a rattlesnake earlier this month.
The snake bit Todd Fassler, who required two hospitals' stock of the antivenom CroFab, the only drug available to treat people bit by poisonous snakes, CBS News reported.
The bill for the antivenom alone came to more than $83,000.
"The only effective treatment is antivenom," Dr. Keith Boesen, director of the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center, told CBS News. "There's blood tests we can do to determine the effect of the venom. Hospital bills can always be worked out or negotiated, but you can't really negotiate, other than prosthetics, the loss of part of your hand or your arm."
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South Korea MERS Outbreak Over: Prime Minister
The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak in South Korea is over, according to the country's prime minister.
There have been no new infections for 23 days, which means the public "can now be free from worry," Hwang Kyo-ahn said, BBC News reported.
However, the World Health Organization disagrees. It would take 28 days without a new infection -- twice the incubation period of the MERS virus -- to declare the outbreak over in South Korea, a WHO spokeswoman said.
The last MERS case in South Korea was confirmed on July 4, BBC News reported.
So far, 36 people have died in the MERS outbreak in South Korea.
