Cyclosporiasis outbreak grows to 9 states as lettuce probe widens
The CDC says 1,947 cases are now tied to multistate cyclosporiasis outbreaks, with shredded iceberg lettuce the likely source.
By Frankie Delgado · News Reporter
3 min read
The cyclosporiasis outbreak 9 states are now tied to has grown again, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying Friday that 1,947 cases have been confirmed across the connected multistate outbreaks.
The CDC said outbreaks in Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania are now linked with cases in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Michigan. The Washington Post first reported that the outbreak had expanded to four additional states.
Gwen Biggerstaff, deputy director over Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases at the CDC, told NBC News that the wider map does not necessarily mean infections are speeding up. She said state interviews with sick people are giving investigators a fuller view of the outbreak.
What states are in the cyclosporiasis outbreak?
The nine states connected by the CDC are Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Michigan has been hit especially hard in broader state tallies, with nearly 8,000 infections reported by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Ohio has also drawn federal attention. According to NBC News, the CDC has sent three staffers to Ohio to assist investigators there, and Ohio state data lists 2,596 cases.
The Food and Drug Administration said last week that shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico is the likely source of the connected outbreak. The company voluntarily recalled the product from the U.S. market, according to NBC News.
Kari Irvin, deputy director of the FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network, told NBC News that the lettuce had gone to many states and many sales locations. She said the FDA is watching CDC case counts to judge whether the recall removed all products that needed to come off the market.
Investigators got a key lead from interviews with people who became ill. Many reported eating at Taco Bell in June before the larger waves of cases began, NBC News reported. Taco Bell removed lettuce from its menu before Taylor Farms issued its recall.
What is cyclosporiasis?
Cyclosporiasis is a foodborne illness caused by the cyclospora parasite. NBC News reported that the parasite can stick to fresh produce, including fruit, vegetables and herbs, making it hard to wash off, and spreads through water contaminated with human feces.
The lettuce recall may not explain every case. NBC News, citing CDC and state health department tallies, reported nearly 12,000 confirmed or suspected cyclosporiasis cases nationwide.
Hundreds of cases have been reported outside the states currently linked to the multistate outbreaks. New York has recorded 632 cases since May, and North Carolina has reported 561 in the same period, according to NBC News.
Preliminary findings in North Carolina point to parsley and cilantro as possible sources there, NBC News reported. Irvin said the FDA is seeing different signals and has multiple cyclospora investigations open.
Irvin also told NBC News that FDA investigators are examining whether additional growers may have contributed to illnesses. She said the current data continues to point toward growers already identified in the investigation.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.