A nationwide outbreak of cyclosporiasis linked to lettuce has spread to four additional U.S. states, bringing the total to nine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The foodborne parasitic illness is characterized by explosive diarrhea. The update was first reported by The Washington Post.
Those four new states are Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania—now joining Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.
As investigators try to connect the dots on what is causing thousands of people to get sick, the clues have led to shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell restaurants, traced back to a Mexican supplier for Taylor Farms. Taylor Fresh Foods has since issued a voluntary recall of select lettuce products.
The CDC update warns consumers “not to eat recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico. If you purchased recalled lettuce, throw it out or return it.”
Since the outbreak began on June 22, 1,947 people have been infected with cyclospora, which has been linked to at least 98 hospitalizations, per the CDC.
“This number includes sick people who have traveled to states involved in the outbreak in the two weeks before their illness began and ate at Taco Bell,” the CDC warns. “The true number of sick people in this multistate outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses.” No deaths have been reported.
Cyclosporiasis symptoms
As Fast Company previously reported, cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects the small intestine, often resulting in “watery diarrhea” with frequent and sometimes “explosive bowel movements,” per the CDC. It is typically spread through contaminated water and food.
Additional symptoms include:
- loss of appetite
- weight loss
- cramping
- bloating
- increased gas
- nausea
- fatigue
Less common symptoms may include:
- vomiting
- body aches
- headache
- low-grade fever
- other flu-like symptoms
The illness can last from a few days to over four weeks if left untreated, with some symptoms, such as diarrhea, fading and often relapsing. Other symptoms, like fatigue, may linger after gastrointestinal symptoms are over.
Symptoms usually begin about one week after infection.