The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expanded its investigation into a multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak, adding four more states linked to contaminated produce from central Mexico as federal health officials work to trace one of the largest unknown outbreaks of the parasitic illness in the United States.
The newly linked states are: Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. The four states join Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia, bringing the total number of states connected to the outbreak to nine. Investigators believe additional states will help them better construct how contaminated lettuce moved through the nation’s food supply and identify whether other restaurants, retailers, or distributors received the same product, the CDC reported Friday.
Federal investigators have traced shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in the nine states to a single supplier in Mexico. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration said the outbreak was linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms in Mexico. After a review, officials concluded the result was a false positive, but Taylor Farms is still working with the FDA to investigate the source of the outbreak.
The CDC said at least 1,947 people have fallen ill in the nine-state outbreak, with a total of 98 hospitalizations. There have been no reported deaths at this time. The recalled lettuce was distributed to restaurants, retailers, and consumers in at least 27 states, prompting the agency to advise consumers not to eat the affected products and to throw them away or return them to the store.
Since May 1, the CDC has confirmed 4,173 domestically acquired cases across 41 states. It is reviewing more than 7,400 additional reports, many from Michigan and Ohio, to determine whether they are connected to existing outbreaks or represent separate clusters.
WHAT IS CYCLOSPORIASIS, AND WHAT ARE THE HIGHEST-RISK STATES?
Investigators are also looking to determine if illnesses reported in other states stem from different contaminated products. In North Carolina, for example, health officials have said recent illnesses do not appear to be linked to the recalled lettuce. Instead, preliminary evidence has pointed to parsley and cilantro as possible sources, though officials stressed the investigation is ongoing and neither ingredient has emerged as a national signal.
Separately, the FDA said Wednesday it is investigating a new outbreak that has sickened at least 72 people, one of at least four active outbreak clusters the agency is tracking.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
