Cyclospora outbreak states grow to nine, CDC says
The CDC says a shredded iceberg lettuce-linked cyclospora outbreak has reached nine states, with 1,947 Taco Bell-related cases counted.
By Theo Nakamura · Staff Writer
· 3 min read
The cyclospora outbreak states list has expanded to nine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday, widening a food-safety investigation tied to shredded iceberg lettuce. For everyday investors, the update is a reminder that a supply-chain problem can move fast from a farm or processor into restaurant chains and major retailers.
The CDC said Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania have now been connected to the outbreak. They join Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Michigan, which has been hit hard, according to the agency.
The outbreak is the largest cyclosporiasis outbreak reported in the U.S. this year, with thousands of illnesses recorded nationwide, according to federal health officials. That is far above the roughly 200 to 1,000 cases typically reported in a year.
What states are in the cyclospora outbreak?
The nine states linked by the CDC to the shredded iceberg lettuce outbreak are:
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- West Virginia
The CDC has counted 1,947 people infected with cyclospora who also said they ate at Taco Bell locations in those nine states, according to a federal outbreak update. The CDC said illnesses tied to the iceberg lettuce outbreak began on June 22 and continued through July 20.
Federal totals can trail state reports, so some affected states have posted higher infection counts than the CDC’s running tally.
What is cyclospora?
Cyclospora is a tiny parasite that commonly spreads through food or water that has been contaminated. It causes cyclosporiasis, a stomach and intestinal illness that can include severe diarrhea.
Some patients may need hospital care, according to health officials. No deaths linked to the parasite have been reported in the U.S. this year.
The Food and Drug Administration has focused its investigation on shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms. The FDA said last week that Taylor Farms provided the lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants where people ate before becoming sick. Taylor Farms issued a voluntary recall for iceberg lettuce sourced from its facility in Guanajuato, Mexico, and Taco Bell removed the affected lettuce from its restaurants.
Mexican health authorities said Thursday that lettuce and water samples from Taylor Farms’ central Mexico plant tested negative for cyclospora. The FDA’s position did not change after those results. The agency has said Taylor Farms de Mexico remains the likely source of the outbreak.
The timeline matters because cyclospora can take time to cause symptoms after exposure. The first known illnesses began in mid-May, and the FDA has said the crop suspected in the outbreak would have been shipped weeks earlier.
The FDA is also looking into a separate cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to an unidentified food product or products. Federal health and food regulators are working to identify the source of the parasite and limit additional spread.
Taylor Farms has faced criticism from some health experts over the clarity of its recall notice, which used abbreviations that critics said made it difficult for consumers to tell whether they had bought or eaten affected products. After the FDA reported a false positive from lettuce samples on Sunday, Taylor Farms said the agency had apologized. The FDA later said it had not apologized and still viewed the company’s iceberg lettuce as the likely source. Taylor Farms deleted the statement on X, though it remained on the company’s website.
Taylor Farms supplies lettuce and other produce to large retailers including Walmart, Target and Whole Foods, as well as restaurant chains including Taco Bell.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.
