US declares end of largest recorded cyclosporiasis outbreak

What the report says

U.S. health authorities have said the country’s largest recorded cyclosporiasis outbreak is over, after contaminated iceberg lettuce was linked to nearly 13,000 illnesses across 21 states. Al Jazeera, citing the CDC and FDA, reported that investigators believe the recalled lettuce has now been removed from the market.

The CDC said it has counted 12,883 cases connected to the outbreak, including 570 hospitalizations and two deaths. Michigan was the hardest-hit state, and the outbreak was tied to lettuce distributed by Taylor Farms after federal investigators traced the source to iceberg lettuce from central Mexico. Taylor Farms de Mexico recalled all iceberg lettuce from the region on July 17, according to the report.

Symptoms of cyclosporiasis typically include watery diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, bloating, weight loss and fatigue. The article said infections peaked at more than 1,000 reported in a single day before falling sharply by August. It also noted that the outbreak unfolded during a broader year of unusually high cyclospora case counts in the U.S.

The report says the episode has renewed scrutiny of food-safety oversight, especially the inspection of imported produce and the speed of outbreak tracing. The FDA said it had completed on-site inspections and sample collection in Mexico, while laboratory results were still pending.