CDC expands iceberg lettuce cyclospora outbreak to 15 states
2 people die in Michigan Cyclospora outbreak
Two people have died in Michigan as a result of the state's Cyclospora outbreak. Dr. Evan Nadler of George Washington University joined Bowen Kedrowicz on LiveNOW from FOX with the latest on the outbreak and how you can stay safe.
The cyclospora outbreak linked specifically to iceberg lettuce has now expanded to 15 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared Wednesday.
There have been at least 47 states this year that have reported cyclospora cases overall and investigators are still trying to figure out how many could be linked to a common contaminated source.
Here are the 15 states with cyclospora cases linked to iceberg lettuce:
Dig deeper:
Investigators initially narrowed in on lettuce served at Taco Bell. Federal officials subsequently said they are focused on Taylor Farms as the source of the lettuce in the outbreak, and the company has recalled iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico.
Michigan alone has reported more than 12,000 — including two deaths. Adding in the other states that have reported cases, the national total stands at over 25,000.
The FDA says it is tracking five separate ongoing cyclospora outbreaks. The 15-state outbreak is by far the largest. No products have been linked to the other outbreaks, including one that has sickened 115 people.
FILE - A detailed close-up shot of several fresh iceberg lettuce leaves. (Getty Images)
Big picture view:
There are several reasons cyclospora outbreaks can be hard to investigate and contain, said Dr. Juan Luis Marquez, medical director of the Washtenaw County and Livingston County health departments in Michigan.
It can take weeks between when someone is exposed to the parasite and when they come down with symptoms; it's harder to analyze the parasite in laboratories; and it's a lot of work to interview everyone who is sick and clearly identify common exposures, said Marquez, an adjunct public health professor at the University of Michigan.
Also, "there have been staffing cuts at all levels of public health — federal, local, state — so there are less resources and capacity generally available," Marquez said in a statement.
The backstory:
Before this year’s outbreak, the worst year in the U.S. for infections was 2019, when about 4,700 illnesses were reported nationally.
What is cyclosporiasis?
Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal disease caused by the microscopic parasite cyclospora. Symptoms can appear two to 14 days after exposure and may include frequent watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, cramping, nausea and a fever.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press and previous reporting by FOX Local. This story was reported from San Jose.