Cyclospora outbreak has spread to nine US states, health officials said

Cyclospora linked to iceberg lettuce has spread to nine US states, health officials said on Friday, part of the largest outbreak reported in US history.

Cases linked to the lettuce from central Mexico have now been reported in Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia have also reported cases linked to the lettuce.

Cyclospora parasite causes cyclosporiasis and leads to explosive diarrhea. There are many outbreaks in the US, probably from different sources.

As of mid-May, the number of cases reported by the CDC has reached more than 11,000 in 41 states.

Michigan has been the hardest-hit state, with health officials there reporting more than 8,100 cases on Friday.

Residents infected with parasites He told the BBC. “It was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.”

In an update on Friday, the CDC warned people against eating Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce from central Mexico.

Taylor Farms, a major U.S. food supplier, recalled all iceberg lettuce from central Mexico on July 17. The company said it did this “out of an abundance of caution.”

Food and Drug Administration investigators announced over the weekend that iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms had tested positive for Cyclospora, but later reversed that statement as a false positive.

Health experts spoken to by the BBC said it was difficult to know where Cyclospora, the parasite that causes the intestinal disease cyclosporiasis when ingested, came from.

Part of the problem is that symptoms may not appear until weeks after the parasite has been ingested, making it difficult for investigators to determine what someone may have eaten and find a common connection.

Wade Sears, a food safety and security expert at Michigan State University, told the BBC that investigations into the multi-state outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce are expected to be slow.

“It is not unusual for Cyclospora to become more clear a few months after the first symptoms,” he said in an email on Friday.

“Because these tests are unfortunately more likely to be marathon tests than fast-paced.”