On Thursday (August 27), US health officials reported new cases of parasitic infections related to the recalled Mexican romaine lettuce in three additional states. This indicates that the largest Cyclosporiasis outbreak in the US in years has spread to a total of twenty states nationwide.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), cases of Cyclosporiasis have now been identified in Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas, in addition to the previously affected states.
The federal health agency stated that the number of people infected with this parasite across the country has risen from approximately 10,900 last week to 11,458 this week.
The FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state health officials have focused their investigation on romaine lettuce grown on a farm in central Mexico operated by Taylor Farms, a major US produce supplier.
The FDA mentioned that its staff are continuing to collaborate with Mexican government officials to inspect and test the farm’s produce. The FDA affirmed that they “remain confident that all recalled romaine lettuce associated with this specific Cyclosporiasis outbreak has been taken off the shelves”.
Earlier this week, the CDC reported that around 29,000 cases of Cyclosporiasis have been detected in the US this year, including confirmed and suspected cases, with 922 individuals requiring hospitalization.
Apart from the three states with newly reported cases, other states affected by this outbreak include Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
Cyclosporiasis outbreaks typically occur in late spring and summer, with the disease commonly spreading through contaminated food or water. The main symptom is persistent watery diarrhea for several weeks.
(This article referenced reporting from the Associated Press)