Cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce expands to 9 states

Key Points:

• The CDC expanded the cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce to nine states, adding Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania to the original five states affected.
• Michigan has reported the highest number of cases with 8,176 infections and about 160 hospitalizations, while the CDC confirmed 1,947 cases nationally but believes the true number is much higher.
• The outbreak is linked to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms from central Mexico, prompting a voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce from this source affecting 27 states.
• Taco Bell has stopped using lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, and the FDA clarified a previous false positive test on a lettuce sample did not alter the link between the outbreak and Taylor Farms products.
• Since May 1, over 11,500 cyclosporiasis cases have been reported across 41 states, with 4,173 lab-confirmed cases and 308 hospitalizations, while the CDC continues investigating other unrelated outbreaks.