Parasitic infection outbreak detected in four new U.S. states

Federal health officials said on Friday that they had linked cases of a parasitic infection causing diarrhea, associated with shredded lettuce, to four additional U.S. states, expanding the largest outbreak of cyclosporiasis—a gastrointestinal illness typically transmitted through contaminated food or water—in the United States.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the outbreak, initially linked to Taco Bell restaurants, now includes Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. Previous CDC investigations had covered five states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.

The CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and state health officials are tracing the lettuce supply chain and interviewing people across the country about the foods they ate in the two weeks prior to falling ill.

The number of cases linked to lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants has now risen to 1,947, including at least 98 people who required hospitalization. The CDC reported on its website that no deaths have been recorded.

Earlier this week, FDA officials said they were still focusing on lettuce from Taylor Farms as the source of the multi-state outbreak.

Last week, the company announced it was recalling quantities of iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico.

On Thursday, the FDA announced it had opened an investigation into a separate, unrelated cyclosporiasis outbreak after 72 cases were reported.

- This news report is from The Associated Press (AP), translated from English by a Cairo-based editor for Deutsche Welle (DW).