big number
1,645. That’s the number of confirmed cyclosporiasis cases across 34 reporting states, 145 of which have led to hospitalization, according to the CDC. There are more than 5,100 other cases that require further analysis to confirm the illness as cyclosporiasis, the agency said.
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key background
The CDC considers the outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by the cyclospora cayatenesis parasite, to have started in early May. The parasite spreads when people eat food or drink water containing contaminated feces, though FDA officials have said the parasite is difficult to detect on produce, likening it to finding a “needle in a haystack.” There has been little progress in finding the outbreak’s source, despite the false positive test of Taylor Farms’ lettuce, after investigators believed it was linked to produce supplied to Taco Bell in five states. The CDC reportedly expects the number of confirmed cyclosporiasis cases to jump through August, as the onset of illness often takes several weeks after infection.
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further reading
ForbesHere’s Where The Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Stands After Taylor Farms’ False PositiveBy Mary Whitfill Roeloffs
ForbesCyclosporiasis Theories Are Spreading Online. Here’s What’s True.By Mary Whitfill RoeloffsForbesTaco Bell Warned Investors About Cyclosporiasis Before The Outbreak—And These Other Chains Did TooBy Mary Whitfill Roeloffs