Cyclospora Outbreak Tops 22,000 Cases as Experts Say Recalled Lettuce Is Now Safe
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Aug 12
Cyclospora Outbreak Tops 22,000 Cases as Experts Say Recalled Lettuce Is Now Safe
3 articles · Updated · WIRED · Aug 12
Summary
More than 22,000 confirmed and suspected Cyclospora cases across 15 states have begun to taper, and food-safety experts say consumers can likely eat lettuce again because the recalled products are no longer on the market.
July 17 marked Taylor Farms' recall of shredded iceberg lettuce and salad mixes with best-by dates through Aug. 3 after federal investigators linked the outbreak to iceberg lettuce from central Mexico, including supplies sent to Taco Bell.
Michigan, the hardest-hit state, has logged more than 12,000 cases and two deaths since June, but officials said Aug. 6 that residents no longer need to avoid bagged salad mixes as new reports and diarrhea-related ER visits decline.
Two additional Cyclosporiasis clusters are still under investigation, with North Carolina examining parsley and cilantro, and total case counts could keep rising for weeks because symptoms typically appear about seven days after exposure.
The outbreak has underscored how complex produce supply chains and contaminated irrigation water can spread parasites that cling to raw greens and resist common sanitizers, leaving fresh produce a persistent summer food-safety risk.