Cyclosporiasis Cases in Michigan Climb Top 11,500 on Ongoing Outbreak

Michigan health officials on Tuesday reported 11,508 cases linked to a cyclosporiasis outbreak, up by more than 200 from the previous day’s update.

The state also reported the first two deaths associated with the outbreak, noting that both individuals had significant underlying health conditions.

Related: Taco Bell Met With Michigan on Parasite Weeks Before Recall

Here are some more details:

• An FDA investigation has linked the outbreak, which has expanded to nine states, to iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants and sourced from privately held Taylor Farms operations in central Mexico, but authorities are still looking for other potential sources.
• Michigan said the two deaths were linked to illnesses that began before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce by Taylor Farms on July 17.
• The outbreak in Michigan has resulted in 193 hospitalizations as of July 30, according to the state health department’s latest update.
• Cyclospora infections, which can cause diarrhea, nausea and other gastrointestinal symptoms, have been rising steadily across the U.S.
• Cyclosporiasis can be contracted by consuming food, typically raw fruits and vegetables, or water contaminated with feces.
• Consumers in the U.S. have been steering clear of some restaurant chains and buying less lettuce in grocery stores as the parasitic disease has fueled confusion over what is safe to eat.
• Former CDC officials and food safety experts said cuts across federal health agencies have complicated the government’s ability to respond to foodborne disease outbreaks.

(Reporting by Ananthan in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)