FDA adds Georgia, Tennessee and Texas to cyclosporiasis outbreak list, total cases exceed 11,000
The Food and Drug Administration said the cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce has spread to three additional states, bringing reported illnesses to 11,458 across 20 states.
The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that the cyclospora outbreak associated with contaminated iceberg lettuce has been detected in Georgia, Tennessee and Texas, expanding the list of affected states to 20. The agency reported a cumulative 11,458 illnesses since the outbreak was first identified in July, along with several hundred hospitalizations and two deaths.
Health officials have traced the source to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico to Taco Bell restaurants. The parasite, Cyclospora, can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as stomach cramps, nausea and fatigue, although some infected individuals show no symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Michigan recorded the highest number of cases and the two deaths, both involving patients with serious underlying health conditions. The outbreak has also impacted consumer purchasing patterns; Dave Ciesinski, president and CEO of The Marzetti Company, told FOX Business that sales of leafy greens fell up to 30% early in the outbreak, with overall vegetable sales down about 16% to 17% and fruit sales also declining. > "Suffice it to say, they’re changing their behavior," Ciesinski said on the program "The Claman Countdown."