Cyclospora outbreak expands to nine US states, health officials say - BBC

What the report says

BBC News reports that a cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce has widened to nine US states, with federal health officials still investigating the source amid what the outlet describes as the largest number of reported cyclosporiasis cases in US history. According to the BBC, the CDC said Friday that cases connected to lettuce from central Mexico are now reported in Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania, in addition to Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.

The BBC reported that the CDC is tracking more than 11,000 cyclospora cases across 41 states since mid-May, though officials believe there are multiple outbreaks likely involving different sources. Michigan has reported the heaviest toll, with state health officials saying infections there have risen above 8,100. Cyclospora is a parasite that causes the intestinal illness cyclosporiasis, which can include severe diarrhoea.

The CDC has advised consumers not to eat recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms sourced from central Mexico. BBC News said Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled all such iceberg lettuce on 17 July, saying it acted out of caution. The report also noted that FDA investigators initially announced that Taylor Farms lettuce had tested positive for cyclospora, but later withdrew that statement and said the result was a false positive.

Experts cited by the BBC said pinpointing cyclospora sources can be difficult because symptoms may appear weeks after exposure, complicating interviews about what patients ate. Wade Syers of Michigan State University told the BBC that the multistate investigation may take time, reflecting broader challenges in foodborne illness tracing when products are widely distributed and possible sources overlap.