A major cyclosporiasis outbreak attributed to contaminated lettuce imported from Mexico has sickened over 17,000 people, according to recent data from the CDC.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported over 17,000 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis in the United States. 📺 DETAIL: According to the CDC, over 17,180 cases of cyclosporiasis have been confirmed in the U.S. The CDC also confirmed that 11,844 cases are still under investigation. The CDC also confirmed that 517 people have been hospitalized as a result of the outbreak. The parasite, Cyclospora, causes severe gastrointestinal symptoms and spreads through contaminated food or water. Symptoms can last for several weeks. According to recent data, Michigan and Ohio are the most affected states, with the former reporting two deaths. The parasite was traced to lettuce from Taylor Farms imported from Mexico back in July. The lettuce was distributed to Taco Bell restaurants in the U.S. The outbreak has resulted in the recall of lettuce across 27 states. Other potential sources remain under investigation. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “It looks like things are slowing down,” wrote Katelyn Jetelina, Assistant Professor Adjunct of Epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health, while warning that “the true number of cases and direction remain nearly impossible to know given our fragmented data infrastructure in the U.S.” 🎯 IMPACT: The new data follows a report from earlier this month that the parasite had spread to three more states: Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas. This represents an increase from the previously reported 11,458 cases. The report’s emphasis on Ohio suggests that the parasite has managed to gain a foothold in the wider Midwest. |
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