The Cyclospora outbreak linked to Taylor Farms de México iceberg lettuce is officially over, the CDC announced Friday, with a final toll of 12,883 illnesses across 21 states, at least 570 hospitalizations, and two deaths, both in Michigan. BeezLoop first covered this outbreak when it had reached more than 11,000 illnesses across 20 states; the final numbers came in higher still before the CDC closed the investigation.
How did lettuce cause nearly 13,000 illnesses?
Epidemiologic and traceback data pointed investigators to iceberg lettuce processed by Taylor Farms de México, a Mexico-based supplier that fed into both retail grocery stores and restaurant chains, most notably Taco Bell. Illness onset dates ran from June 14 through August 17, and the contaminated lettuce was recalled on July 17 — meaning the vast majority of people who got sick had already been exposed before the recall even happened. Cyclospora is a parasite that causes prolonged, watery diarrhea and can take weeks to fully resolve even with treatment, which is part of why this outbreak’s case count kept climbing for months after the initial cases were identified.
Why did it take so long to declare the outbreak over?
Foodborne illness investigations close only after the CDC confirms new cases have stopped appearing that can be linked back to the contaminated product, which requires enough time to pass that any remaining exposed lettuce has cycled fully out of the supply chain and any lingering infections have run their course. With onset dates spanning more than two months and Cyclospora’s notoriously long incubation and symptom period, the CDC needed until mid-September to be confident no new cases tied to the same source were still emerging.
Sources: Bloomberg · Food Safety News · CDC · FDA
