Cyclosporiasis outbreak reaches 9 states as lettuce link is probed
CDC says 1,947 cases across nine states are tied to a multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak likely linked to shredded iceberg lettuce.
By Tom Brennan · Health & Medicine Correspondent
3 min read
The cyclosporiasis outbreak in 9 states now includes 1,947 confirmed cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. The expanded count matters because federal investigators are using the broader case picture to judge whether a lettuce recall has removed enough potentially contaminated food from stores and restaurants.
The CDC connected outbreaks in Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania 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, the CDC’s deputy director over Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, told NBC News that the wider list does not by itself show infections are rising faster. She said states are completing interviews with people who became ill, giving federal officials a fuller view of the outbreak.
What states are in the cyclosporiasis outbreak?
The CDC has confirmed outbreak-linked cases in nine states:
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- West Virginia
The Food and Drug Administration said last week that shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico is the likely source of the multistate outbreak. The company voluntarily recalled the product from the U.S. market, according to the FDA.
Kari Irvin, deputy director of the FDA’s Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network, told NBC News the lettuce had gone to many states and many points of sale. She said the FDA is tracking CDC case counts to help determine whether the recall recovered all products that needed to be pulled from the market.
Investigators linked the outbreak to Taylor Farms after interviewing people who became sick, NBC News reported. Many of them said they had eaten at Taco Bell in June before case counts grew. Taco Bell removed lettuce from its menu before Taylor Farms issued the recall.
Irvin said FDA investigators are still checking whether other growers may have contributed to illnesses. She said the current data continues to point toward growers already identified by investigators.
What is cyclosporiasis?
Cyclosporiasis is a foodborne infection caused by the Cyclospora parasite. Health officials say the parasite can stick to fresh produce such as fruit, vegetables and herbs, and it spreads through water contaminated with human feces.
Federal and state tallies show nearly 12,000 confirmed or suspected cyclosporiasis cases nationwide, according to NBC News. Michigan has reported nearly 8,000 infections, while Ohio has 2,596 cases and has received three CDC staffers to help with its investigation.
Other states have reported hundreds of cases that have not yet been tied to the multistate outbreak. New York has recorded 632 cases since May, and North Carolina has reported 561 in the same period; preliminary findings in North Carolina point to parsley and cilantro as possible sources, according to state officials cited by NBC News.
Irvin said the FDA is seeing several different signals in its Cyclospora work and has multiple investigations open.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.