A large outbreak of Cyclospora linked to recalled iceberg lettuce has affected at least 1,947 people across nine states in the U.S. This is one of the largest known outbreaks of the parasite. While it hasn’t yet surpassed the 2019 record, health officials expect the number of confirmed cases to rise due to delays in confirming infections.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and state health authorities are involved in the investigation. The outbreak has connections to iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, voluntarily recalled by Taylor Farms de Mexico. Newsweek reached out to Taylor Farms for comments outside of regular hours.

On July 17, Taylor Farms initiated a recall of iceberg lettuce from central Mexico. The CDC advises disposal or return of the recalled lettuce. The agency is also looking into other Cyclospora outbreaks in the U.S. that are not related to this case.

Current Situation

As of July 24, there are 1,947 confirmed cases and 98 hospitalizations. No deaths are reported. Affected states include Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

About Cyclospora

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects the small intestine, leading to cyclosporiasis. Infection happens through food or water contaminated by the parasite, often involving fresh produce such as leafy greens and fruits exposed to contaminated water or poor sanitation.

Cyclospora does not spread directly between people because it needs time to mature in the environment before becoming infectious. Symptoms appear about a week after exposure and include frequent watery diarrhea, appetite loss, weight loss, stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue, and occasionally vomiting or low-grade fever. Treatment with antibiotics usually aids recovery, though untreated symptoms may persist for weeks or fade and reappear.

Notable Cyclospora Outbreaks

Though investigations continue, the current event marks one of the largest Cyclospora outbreaks in U.S. history. The largest outbreaks include:

• The current outbreak linked to Taylor Farms with 1,947 cases.
• Since May 1, the CDC has confirmed 4,173 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, aware of over 7,400 cases awaiting confirmation.

Historical Outbreaks

Cyclospora was largely unrecognized in North America until the mid-1990s, after an outbreak linked to Guatemalan raspberries, with 1,465 confirmed cases across multiple regions. Concerns about farming practices led to a suspension of Guatemalan raspberry exports.

Another significant event in 2013 involved multiple states, traced to salad mix and cilantro from Mexico. The largest outbreaks followed in 2018 and 2019, linked to salad mix from McDonald’s and fresh basil from Mexico, with 2,299 and 2,408 confirmed cases, respectively.

Potential for Increased Numbers

The CDC warns that current figures may not reflect the outbreak’s final scale, as determining links to specific outbreaks can take up to six weeks. The agency investigates unrelated domestic outbreaks simultaneously.

The FDA’s traceback continues to link shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms in central Mexico to the outbreak. Consumers should avoid products from the recall.

Taylor Farms’ Response

Taylor Farms stresses its commitment to food safety, stating none of its linked products tested positive for Cyclospora. They emphasize their focus on public health through fresh produce safety.

Taylor Farms responded promptly by removing implicated items and expanding the recall to all iceberg lettuce from the affected area. It has suspended sourcing and production from central Mexico.

The firm engaged independent experts for a food safety review at its facility and paused production, not just of iceberg lettuce, as of July 18.

“As of July 24, 2023, the FDA has not found positive Cyclospora samples,” stated Taylor Farms.

The company is confident in its safety measures and pledges transparency as new information emerges.