FDA Investigating Second, Smaller Cyclosporiasis Outbreak

New Outbreak Adds to Nationwide Surge

Federal health officials are investigating a new cyclospora outbreak that has sickened at least 72 people, adding to a growing nationwide surge of infections caused by the foodborne parasite. The Food and Drug Administration said it has not yet identified the source and has launched a traceback investigation.

The newly reported outbreak is separate from a much larger multistate outbreak linked to recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico. That outbreak has already sickened more than 1,640 people, while overall cyclosporiasis cases have surpassed 4,100 nationwide since May, according to federal health officials.

The new cyclospora outbreak, reported by the FDA on July 22, amounts to 72 cases and has not been linked to a specific product or geographic region, the agency said. The FDA has initiated traceback on the cases in an attempt to find the source.

Lettuce-Linked Outbreak Still Growing

That outbreak is much smaller and separate from the multistate outbreak the FDA linked to lettuce grown by Taylor Farms in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato. In that outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there are more than 1,640 lab-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, an illness that causes unpleasant symptoms such as explosive diarrhea.

The CDC, FDA, with state and local health officials, linked iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico served at Taco Bell locations in five states – Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.

Reported cases continue to grow, with the CDC reporting more than 4,100 laboratory-confirmed cyclosporiasis cases in the United States since May 1. Cases have been reported in 41 states, the CDC said. The CDC’s case numbers can lag by as much as six weeks behind those cited by state health officials, due to tracking, verification and reporting processes, the agency said.

All but four states — Hawaii, Louisiana, New Hampshire and North Dakota — had reported cyclosporiasis cases as of last week, according to USA TODAY’s reporting.

The actual number of those sick may surpass 10,000, the CDC said, as there are more than 7,400 additional cases still being investigated. Many of those additional cases have been reported in Michigan and Ohio, the agency said.

There have been 308 hospitalizations and no deaths during the May 1-July 20 time period, the agency said.

What’s Behind the Seasonal Spike

A seasonal rise in cyclospora infections, from May to August, is typical, according to the FDA. Past outbreaks have been linked to other leafy greens, cabbage, basil, cilantro, parsley, broccoli, snow peas, sugar snap peas, and raspberries, the agency says.

Mexico’s health minister, David Kershenobich, denied responsibility for the recent U.S. outbreak on July 21. That same day, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a news briefing the outbreak was “under control.”

Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge. Mike Snider is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY.