The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed this Friday that the multistate outbreak of cyclospora has spread to nine states, with 1,947 confirmed cases.
They describe it as the largest known outbreak of this disease in the country's history. Four states have joined the already identified multistate cluster: Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia are added to Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, the latter being the hardest hit in the country.
Nationally, the situation is even more alarming. There are almost 12,000 confirmed or suspected cases of cyclosporiasis, according to the combined counts from the CDC and state health departments.
States with reported cases
These are the states that have reported cases linked to the multistate outbreak or have active investigations:
- Michigan: nearly 8,000 infections, the epicenter of the outbreak
- Ohio: 2,596 cases; the CDC sent three employees to assist with the local investigation.
- New York: 632 cases since May
- North Carolina: 561 cases since May; preliminary investigations point to parsley and cilantro as possible sources
- Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania: linked to the multistate outbreak
- Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia: added to the cluster this week
- Florida: dozens of cases distributed across more than 20 counties, with a concentration in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Lee
Gwen Biggerstaff, Deputy Director of the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases at the CDC, explained that the expansion does not necessarily imply an acceleration of the outbreak.
"We are obtaining more comprehensive case data that covers the scope of the outbreak. States are completing interviews with individuals, and we are finalizing the data," he noted.
The lettuce from Taylor Farms, at the center of the research
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified the shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de México as the likely source of the outbreak. The company processed the product in Guanajuato and distributed it between June 29 and July 16 across 27 states, before conducting a voluntary recall.
The lead came from interviews with sick individuals: many had eaten at Taco Bell in June, before the peak of cases. The chain removed lettuce from its menu before the formal recall from Taylor Farms.
Although a laboratory result that initially confirmed the contamination was declared a false positive, the FDA clarified that this does not change the epidemiological basis of the investigation.
Kari Irvin, deputy director of the FDA's Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network, stated that "the data we have now really continues to point to the producers that had already been identified," although the agency is examining whether other suppliers may have contributed to the outbreak.
Cyclosporiasis is caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which attaches to fresh produce and spreads through water or food contaminated with human feces. It is not transmitted from person to person. Its symptoms — intense watery diarrhea, cramping, nausea, fatigue, and mild fever — may appear between one and 14 days after exposure.
So far, no deaths associated with the outbreak have been reported, although at least 141 hospitalizations were recorded in the federal count by mid-July.
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