U.S. health officials are investigating a new outbreak of a diarrhea-causing parasite
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- Federal health officials are investigating a new cyclospora outbreak that had sickened 72 people as of Wednesday, with the FDA yet to identify a source product or disclose where cases are concentrated.
- The FDA has not yet determined which foods are linked to the illnesses; the Associated Press has asked the agency for further information.
- In a parallel investigation, Taylor Farms announced last week it was recalling iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico, which federal officials suspect as the source of a separate multistate outbreak still under investigation.
- Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite transmitted when produce is irrigated or washed with water contaminated by human feces, causing intestinal illness marked by frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements, according to the CDC.
- Alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not kill cyclospora, but soap and water are highly effective, per CDC guidance — a practical detail missing from most coverage of the outbreak.
- Federal and state authorities are investigating multiple separate clusters of cyclospora illnesses simultaneously, including the one traced to Taylor Farms, suggesting a wider pattern of contamination in the produce supply chain.
Why it matters: With 72 people sickened and no identified source, consumers have no way to avoid the contaminated product — and this outbreak is unfolding alongside a separate Taylor Farms lettuce recall, signaling that cyclospora contamination is hitting the produce supply chain on multiple fronts at once.
