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Before Lettuce Felled Thousands, a Cilantro-Linked Cyclospora Outbreak Sickened New Yorkers
The New York Times • • health
Key Points:
- In April, the New York City Health Department investigated a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to cilantro, preceding a larger summer outbreak traced to iceberg lettuce that affected thousands nationwide.
- Cyclosporiasis, caused by a parasite, leads to severe gastrointestinal symptoms and is challenging to trace due to its incubation period of up to 14 days, complicating patients' recall of their food consumption.
- The city has reported 442 cases of cyclosporiasis this year, significantly higher than the average annual 216 cases recorded between 2019 and 2024.
- Health officials rely on a complex, multi-level surveillance system involving city, state, and federal agencies to identify contamination sources amid a global food supply chain.
- The CDC continues to investigate cyclosporiasis cases unrelated to the iceberg lettuce outbreak, highlighting ongoing public health efforts to control the parasite's spread.
