C.D.C. Expands Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Iceberg Lettuce to Nine States
New York Times · LC · trust 64/100
Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania now join Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia in cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce.
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At least 1,947 people have become ill and 98 have been hospitalized in the outbreak, which has expanded to include Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia were already part of the outbreak.
The Food and Drug Administration has linked the infections to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms and grown in central Mexico. On July 17, Taylor Farms recalled bagged iceberg lettuce sold in 27 states (including the nine states in the outbreak). The recalled lettuce was sent to restaurants, retail stores and food service distributors including Taco Bell and Walmart, but Taylor Farms has not provided clear information about exactly where the products were sold or served, and which specific products were affected.
The news comes as federal officials investigate other cyclospora outbreaks and illnesses across the country, which they say are unrelated to this outbreak. On Thursday, the F.D.A. announced a new outbreak with 72 cases , but did not identify the location or the potential source.
Nationwide, the C.D.C. has confirmed or is investigating more than 11,500 cases of cyclosporiasis, which is caused by a parasite typically spread through food or water contaminated with human feces .
In Michigan, which has reported the most cases, some labs have started to run out of the reagents that they need to test for cyclosporiasis, said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state’s chief medical executive. Cases there climbed to 7,664 on Thursday — a tally that was “likely an undercount,” Dr. Bagdasarian said, given the shortage of lab supplies.
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