WHAT WE DON’T KNOW
If the outbreak is still ongoing. Experts have warned that just because the case number is rising doesn’t necessarily mean people are still eating contaminated produce. It can take weeks for people to show symptoms of the illness and it can take as long as six weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.
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WHAT IS CYCLOSPORIASIS?
An intestinal illness caused by a parasite called Cyclospora. Cyclosporiasis infects people who eat food or drink water infected with the parasite, and it can cause weeks of “explosive” bowel movements, according to the CDC. Cyclosporiasis is typically not fatal or life-threatening, and the two people who died in Michigan are reported to have had “significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration.”
WHAT CAUSED THE CYCLOSPORIASIS OUTBREAK?
Traceback investigators with the CDC have identified Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce from Mexico as a possible origin source for the outbreak, but all of the cases are unlikely to have come from a single source. The agency linked the lettuce to the outbreak after sick people reported having eaten at Taco Bell, which sources that product, in five states. The company said the lettuce was distributed to restaurants from June 29 through July 16 and in retail stores in 27 states, all of which have since been the subject of recalls. Cyclosporiasis is notoriously hard to trace because the parasite is difficult to detect on produce, and so far the FDA has reported no positive tests from infected fruit or vegetables.
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WHAT HAS BEEN RECALLED?
Shredded iceberg lettuce products from Taylor Farms were recalled in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. Taco Bell temporarily stopped serving lettuce, cilantro, onions, pico de gallo and guacamole.
HOW TO STAY SAFE FROM CYCLOSPORIASIS
Health officials say to throw out any of the lettuce included in the recall and take extra care in handling other produce, specifically leafy greens. The only way to kill the Cyclospora parasite is to heat it to 158 degrees Fahrenheit, or 70 degrees Celsius. Washing fruits and vegetables won’t kill the cyclospora parasite and may not remove it entirely because it clings tightly to produce, but public health agencies still recommend washing fruits and vegetables and say it can reduce further contamination. Because frozen and canned produce items are heated in the packaging process, they’re considered safe options amid the outbreak.
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