The massive outbreak of cyclosporiasis associated with the lettuce variety iceberg It has spread to six other states, according to a source familiar with the health situation.
The outbreak, caused by a microscopic parasite present in human feces, has led to hundreds of hospitalizations and at least two deaths since early May.
The new states affected —Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Carolina— They join Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make public statements.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has reported 1,095 cases as of Sunday, more than double the number it reported last week.
The agency’s update marks a significant expansion of the outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a foodborne illness that often causes explosive, watery diarrhea.
However, the inclusion of these additional states does not necessarily mean that the outbreak will continue to spread, said Dr. Stephen Ostroff, former acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Most cases have been linked to lettuce served at Taco Bell, supplied by Taylor Farms and sourced from central Mexico. Last month, the produce giant issued a voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce supplied from that region, which the company said was distributed to restaurants and retail stores in 27 states.
The FDA has not yet identified possible sources other than Taylor Farms.
According to Ostroff, the newly linked cases could correspond to people who consumed the lettuce removed from the market weeks ago, but who were only now diagnosed and reported to health authorities.
“With an incubation period of up to two weeks, there should no longer be people getting sick for the first time from that product,” Ostroff added. “But it takes a while for people to seek medical care after symptoms appear, get tested and diagnosed, and then state health departments and the CDC are notified.”
“Think of it like solving a puzzle,” he added. “You have all these pieces there, and the longer you work on it, the more likely you are to figure out where each piece fits into the puzzle.”
More than 22,000 people have confirmed or suspected cases of cyclosporiasis, and 517 have been hospitalized due to the multistate outbreak, the CDC reported Tuesday night.
On Monday, health authorities in Michigan – the state with the most cases of cyclosporiasis – confirmed the first deaths related to this outbreak in the United States. Both people had underlying health conditions that could have been aggravated by illness and dehydration, they said.
Ostroff said the key question about the newly incorporated states is when their patients got sick.
The recalled Taylor Farms lettuce should no longer be available in the United States, and their expiration dates expired on Aug. 3, Ostroff said. If people were exposed after that date, researchers may have to look for another source.
“We may have solved the Taylor Farms shredded lettuce case, but it’s unlikely that explains everything we’re seeing,” he said.
