Cyclosporiasis outbreak expands to 9 states

Key Points:

• The cyclosporiasis outbreak has expanded to nine states, including Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and Michigan, with 1,947 confirmed cases linked to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating the outbreak, which has led to a voluntary recall of the lettuce product by Taylor Farms.
• Interviews with infected individuals revealed many had eaten at Taco Bell, prompting the restaurant to remove lettuce from its menu before the recall was issued.
• Michigan has experienced the highest number of cases (nearly 8,000), while Ohio has 2,596 cases, with CDC staff assisting state investigations; other states like New York and North Carolina report hundreds of cases possibly linked to different produce such as parsley and cilantro.
• The FDA continues multiple investigations into cyclospora outbreaks, acknowledging that iceberg lettuce is unlikely the sole source of infections, as the parasite contaminates various fresh produce items and spreads through contaminated water.