NEW YORK — U.S. health officials announced Friday that the largest cyclospora food poisoning outbreak in the nation’s history has concluded.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that all recalled iceberg lettuce associated with this outbreak has been removed from the market.
According to federal officials, nearly 13,000 cases of cyclospora infection were linked to the multistate outbreak, contributing to an unprecedented rise in this parasitic diarrheal illness this year.
Despite the outbreak being declared over, questions persist regarding its origin. The cyclospora parasite spreads through human feces, and it remains unclear how sewage contamination led to such widespread illness.
Ellen Shumaker, director of outreach for the North Carolina State University food safety program, Safe Plates, explained, “This contamination can happen if produce is grown in soil or comes into contact with water that has been contaminated.”
Since May 1, authorities have documented nearly 20,000 lab-confirmed cases, which is more than 16 times the number reported during the same period last year. Additionally, there have been over 6,100 suspected cases.
The previous worst year for cyclospora infections in the U.S. was 2019, with approximately 4,700 cases reported nationwide.
This year’s dramatic increase in cases was primarily driven by an outbreak across 21 states linked to iceberg lettuce, although thousands of additional cases have not been connected to this particular outbreak.
Michigan was the most affected state, recording the highest number of cases and the two U.S. deaths associated with the outbreak.
Cyclospora, a microscopic spherical parasite, typically causes watery diarrhea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements, according to the CDC. Outbreaks are most common in late spring and summer.
Cyclosporiasis, the illness caused by cyclospora, is less frequent than foodborne illnesses from other pathogens like salmonella and E. coli. Many cases are never traced back to a specific food or source.
Initially, investigators focused on lettuce served at Taco Bell. Later, federal officials identified Taylor Farms as the source, leading to a recall of iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico.
The Taylor Farms recall included thousands of packaged salad products containing iceberg lettuce and other vegetables, which were distributed to major U.S. restaurant chains like Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC.
On Friday, the FDA announced the conclusion of its on-site inspections and sample collections at iceberg lettuce growers and the processing facility in Mexico. The analysis of samples from these inspections is still pending, the FDA stated.
The outbreak has highlighted a worsening issue as U.S. regulators are conducting fewer international inspections to detect contaminated produce before it reaches American consumers.
— Mike Stobbe
The Associated Press’ health and science coverage receives financial support from the AP Fund for Journalism and private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
