Widespread cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to lettuce sold at major restaurants
A large multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis tied to lettuce sold at establishments like Taco Bell and various grocery stores now accounts for cases across 15 states, reports BritPanorama.
Six additional states—Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and North Carolina—have been implicated following laboratory analyses by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which determined that illnesses in those areas likely stemmed from the same strain of cyclospora. The parasite can cause severe gastrointestinal distress, including persistent diarrhea, if not treated.
According to the CDC, over 6,000 cases have been recorded in this outbreak, resulting in nearly 300 hospitalizations and two fatalities. Experts assert that the new confirmations reflect the outbreak’s extent, rather than it expanding further.
Bill Marler, a Seattle-based attorney specializing in food safety, emphasized that the recent update is a mere tally of pre-existing cases and that the next step involves linking the infections to specific producers such as Taylor Farms.
The CDC is currently executing a level 3 emergency response to this outbreak, which allows the agency to deploy additional staff to the ongoing investigation while indicating a low risk to the general public.
In interviews with affected individuals, many reported consuming lettuce, specifically shredded iceberg lettuce provided to Taco Bell by Taylor Farms. The latter company initiated a recall on July 17 for all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, stating that the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution.” In addition, Taylor Farms is reportedly reviewing its safety protocols comprehensively.
Taco Bell has confirmed that it removed the implicated shredded iceberg lettuce from its restaurants in certain regions. Experts suggest that since lettuce is perishable, much of the tainted product may have already been consumed or discarded.
While lettuce is considered a significant suspect in the outbreak, it is not exclusively attributed to illnesses reported in all states. Some affected individuals did not consume lettuce, and health officials are exploring the potential for other contaminated food sources.
The CDC’s most recent update indicates over 22,700 cases of domestic cyclosporiasis identified this season, with 10,468 confirmed while others are undergoing testing. Marler notes that states have reported close to 25,000 cases thus far. However, due to underreporting—often from individuals not seeking medical attention—the actual number could be substantially higher. Some estimates suggest that as many as 1 million Americans might have fallen ill this summer.
Further investigations by the US Food and Drug Administration have highlighted seven clusters of related cyclosporiasis cases this summer, although the causes of five of these outbreaks remain unidentified.
