A cyclosporiasis outbreak that has grown into the largest on record in the United States has claimed its first known lives, with two deaths reported in Michigan, the state’s health department announced Monday.
Cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by the Cyclospora parasite, is generally not life-threatening on its own. Michigan officials, citing medical records, said the two people who died had significant underlying health conditions that may have been worsened by the illness and the dehydration associated with it.
An FDA investigation has linked the outbreak, now spanning nine states, to iceberg lettuce sourced from privately held Taylor Farms operations in central Mexico and served at Yum Brands-owned Taco Bell locations.
That lettuce has since been recalled, though authorities continue searching for other potential sources. Epidemiologists suspect the outbreak may actually represent multiple simultaneous outbreaks, and it remains unclear whether the two Michigan deaths were connected to Taylor Farms lettuce served at Taco Bell or to an as-yet-unidentified source.
Read more about this topic: US: dangerous cyclospora outbreak sweeps states as cases far exceed last year’s levels (with video)
Cyclosporiasis cases have surged to record levels across the U.S. this year, with the current outbreak ranking among the largest foodborne illness events in recent American history. It has also dented consumer confidence, contributing to declining lettuce sales and reduced traffic at chains including Sweetgreen and Chipotle.
The CDC, whose national surveillance data typically lags several weeks behind state-level reporting, had recorded 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases nationwide as of July 28, along with more than 11,500 additional suspected cases not yet confirmed through testing. State-level counts tend to run higher, since the CDC excludes probable cases from its own tally.
Michigan remains the hardest-hit state by far, with 11,234 reported cases as of Monday, up 461 since Friday, and 193 hospitalizations, according to state health data. Local officials say the sheer volume of cases, combined with reporting gaps and people’s difficulty accurately recalling what they’ve eaten, has made it increasingly difficult to determine what other foods, beyond Taylor Farms lettuce, may be contributing to the outbreak.
Susan Ringler Cerniglia, spokesperson for the Washtenaw County Health Department, where 875 cases have been reported, said the county has one clearly implicated food source, but that it doesn’t account for everything. She also said mixed messaging from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has complicated the response effort.
Read more about this topic: US: Over 1,000 infected as parasitic “explosive diarrhea” outbreak spreads (with video)
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stated publicly that the outbreak is under control, a characterization Ringler Cerniglia called out of step with the data, noting that leadership’s messaging doesn’t reflect what’s actually happening as case counts continue climbing rapidly. HHS said Monday it was aware of the deaths.
Wayne County, home to Detroit, has recorded the highest case count in Michigan at 1,379, according to state data. Cases have been rising steadily nationwide in recent weeks, per CDC figures, with symptoms including severe diarrhea that can lead to dehydration, nausea and other gastrointestinal problems.
Former CDC officials and food safety experts say cuts to federal health agencies have made it harder for the government to respond effectively to foodborne outbreaks like this one.
Dr. Paul Bollyky, a professor of infectious disease at Stanford Medicine, explained that Cyclospora is inherently more difficult to track than many other foodborne pathogens because, unlike bacteria, it cannot be cultured in a lab or easily genome-mapped to trace its origin, making standard epidemiology and contact tracing far more labor-intensive, work that understaffed public health departments are poorly positioned to handle.
Read more about this topic: White House monitors multistate cyclospora parasite outbreak with over 400 sickened (with video)
Bollyky said underfunded and understaffed health departments certainly don’t help matters, and that budget cuts and staff turnover at the CDC make outbreaks of this scale harder to trace and contain. He added that the sheer scope of this outbreak raises broader questions about the safety of the U.S. food supply, noting that any time more than 10,000 people are infected by a single foodborne pathogen, it’s reasonable to wonder whether it’s a warning sign of deeper problems.
