What’s going on with America’s cyclosporiasis outbreak?

America remains in the midst of a nationwide parasitic outbreak linked to lettuce, forcing diners across the country to shoulder the unthinkable burden of ordering french fries instead of a salad with dinner.

• The CDC has received reports of 4,173 lab-confirmed US cases of cyclosporiasis, and 7,400+ more suspected cases, across 41 states since May, with 308 hospitalizations but no deaths.
• That’s far above the ~250 cases reported nationally by this same time last year.

What is cyclosporiasis? It’s an intestinal infection caused by a microscopic parasite from the genus Cyclospora. The infection most commonly results in diarrhea, but can also trigger nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, bloating, fatigue, weight loss, and dehydration.

Cyclosporiasis can clear up on its own in a matter of days or weeks, but doctors generally recommend treatment with antibiotics for confirmed cases.

The outbreak’s source remains unconfirmed

Last week, federal officials identified shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms as a source of the outbreak, prompting Taylor Farms to voluntarily pull iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the US market.

• But over the weekend, the FDA walked back its earlier statement that a Taylor Farms lettuce sample had tested positive for Cyclospora, saying the result ended up being a false positive.

But…Taylor Farms isn’t off the hook just yet. The FDA on Monday said the false positive “DOES NOT” change the fact that tracing data still points to lettuce from Taylor Farms locations in central Mexico, and supports the company’s voluntary recall remaining in place.

Looking ahead…Health officials expect cases to continue climbing through the end of August, historically the peak season for Cyclospora, before tapering off in the fall. Experts recommend buying locally grown produce when possible, since there are no documented US outbreaks tied to local farms.