Michigan Cyclosporiasis Cases Surpass 9,200 as Outbreak Linked to Tainted Lettuce Expands
By Siddhi Mahatole, Reuters
July 27 (Reuters) — Michigan health officials on Monday reported 9,253 cases of cyclosporiasis, marking an increase of 1,077 infections since their last update three days earlier, as the intestinal disease outbreak shows no signs of slowing. The state Department of Health and Human Services said 160 individuals have been hospitalized, but no fatalities have been linked to the outbreak so far.
Nationally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 4,173 laboratory-confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis and is aware of more than 7,400 additional probable infections that have not yet been confirmed by labs — many of them concentrated in Michigan and neighboring Ohio.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the CDC are expanding their investigation into the outbreak, which has been traced to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms, a major produce company based in central Mexico. The agencies identified new cases in four additional states since their last update, bringing the total number of affected states to nine: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Cyclosporiasis, caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, typically spreads through contaminated food or water. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating, and nausea, and can last weeks if untreated. The incubation period averages about seven days, making it difficult for health officials to pinpoint the exact source of an outbreak in real time.
The outbreak has also drawn sharp scrutiny from Capitol Hill. U.S. Representative Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, on Monday announced he had launched an inquiry into Taylor Farms' role in the outbreak. In a letter to the company, Garcia questioned whether Taylor Farms attempted to influence the FDA's response after its products were identified as the likely source.
“Taylor Farms donated millions to President Trump, met privately with the White House the night the FDA identified their lettuce as the source of this outbreak, and then reportedly tried to distance themselves from this outbreak,” Garcia said in the letter.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that representatives of Taylor Farms had asked the White House to delay announcing a recall tied to the cyclospora outbreak, which has sickened thousands of people across the United States. In response to questions from Reuters, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated that “once FDA had a high degree of confidence that the outbreak was linked to Taylor Farms products, the agency engaged directly with the company and presented substantial evidence supporting the need for a public health action.”
Following those discussions, Taylor Farms voluntarily agreed to remove the affected products from the market, the department confirmed. The company has not publicly commented on the lawmakers’ allegations.
While cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported in at least 41 states so far this year, investigators are still working to determine which of those are part of the specific outbreak linked to Taylor Farms lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants and other outlets. The FDA said it continues to coordinate with state and local health departments to identify additional cases and prevent further spread.
The rising case numbers highlight ongoing vulnerabilities in the U.S. food supply chain, particularly for imported fresh produce. Consumer advocates have called for stronger testing protocols and faster recall mechanisms to prevent future outbreaks of such magnitude.
(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath and Arun Koyyur)