CDC reportedly expands US cyclosporiasis outbreak to 15 states
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reportedly expanded the largest known cyclosporiasis outbreak to 15 states, adding six new states. The source is linked to iceberg lettuce, and Michigan has reported the first two deaths.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reportedly widened the largest known cyclosporiasis outbreak to 15 states. According to the Washington Post, which cited three people familiar with the matter, the expansion includes six additional states: Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and North Carolina. Arkansas's health department confirmed the expansion to the Guardian.
As of July 28, the CDC had recorded 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, along with approximately 11,500 suspected cases awaiting confirmation. Since May, cases have been reported in 45 states, though most suspected cases are concentrated in Michigan and Ohio.
The illness is a form of food poisoning caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis, a microscopic parasite that triggers symptoms such as diarrhea, appetite loss, bloating, extreme fatigue, low-grade fever, stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Cyclosporiasis spreads through the fecal-oral route, typically via contaminated food or water. Symptoms usually begin about a week after infection and, without treatment, can persist from a few days to a month or longer.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is still investigating six cyclosporiasis outbreaks, but it has identified iceberg lettuce produced by Taylor Farms de Mexico as the source of one. In response, Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled lettuce distributed to restaurants in 27 states and grocery stores in 15 states.
On July 24, the CDC announced that the outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce had spread to four additional states: Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. As of that date, illnesses had been reported in nine states: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
Michigan, the hardest-hit state with 11,234 outbreak-linked cases, reported on Monday the first two US deaths tied to the disease since the outbreak began. The CDC urges the public not to eat recalled Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce and to contact healthcare providers if cyclosporiasis symptoms occur.
