Nearly 7,000 people nationwide may have cyclosporiasis, a foodborne illness that can cause weeks of severe diarrhea, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The bulk of the cases are in Michigan, which has confirmed 3,309 cases on its own.
Cases Reported Across 34 States
The CDC reported it had confirmed 1,645 people nationwide have been sickened by cyclosporiasis. An additional 5,100 cases are under investigation. At least 34 states are reporting cases, with the national tally lagging behind what states are reporting as the agency must confirm each case.
According to the CDC, 141 people have been hospitalized since cases were first reported in May. No deaths have been reported. There have been 403 cases in New York City; 374 of them were reported between May and July 10, according to the city’s health department.
Investigation Ongoing
The CDC suspects that at least 400 of the cases across four states — Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia — are connected. Michigan health officials said that based on more than 1,000 interviews with people who’ve tested positive, lettuce or salad greens have emerged as possible sources.
Health officials haven’t identified a supplier of the produce or where the products have been distributed. Michigan’s chief medical executive, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, suggested the source of the outbreak is likely larger than one restaurant chain or grocer.
Nationally, no single product, restaurant, grocer, or distributor has been implicated as the source of the illnesses, and there have been no recalls. On Tuesday, Taco Bell Corp said in a statement that it had “voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure,” though it noted that public health officials have not confirmed a link to the restaurant chain.
The Food and Drug Administration said last week that it’s launched an investigation. Cyclosporiasis is a foodborne illness caused by cyclospora, a microscopic parasite. That parasite can spread from human feces to products like lettuce through contaminated water or unsafe food handling.
Original reporting: NBC6 Miami — read the source article.
