(Washington, DC) — Department of Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. says the cyclosporiasis outbreak is “under control.” His announcement comes as thousands of people in the U.S. have gotten sick from the parasite with most experiencing severe diarrhea. The Food and Drug Administration had linked the outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce from a Taylor Farms facility in Mexico. Mexican health authorities, however, said their own investigation did not find evidence that the outbreak originated there. The majority of the cases have been reported in Michigan where more than 65-hundred cases have been reported.
Taylor Farms is voluntarily recalling iceberg lettuce in 27 states over possible contamination with cyclosporiasis. According to the fruit and vegetable producer, the potentially tainted “shredded iceberg product” was distributed June 29th through July 16th in states including Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts and Texas. Prior to the recall, the CDC had traced the outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations and the company removed the potentially contaminated product from its restaurants. The FDA has said people who are infected by the cyclospora parasite may experience flu-like symptoms and “watery diarrhea, with frequent bowel movements.”
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