Outbreak of parasite that causes ‘explosive’ symptoms ‘expanded to 15 states’ after first deaths reported

Health officials have expanded the outbreak of a stomach parasite linked to shredded lettuce to 15 states, reports suggest. 

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now say six more states are affected by the cyclosporiasis outbreak, reports the Washington Post, quoting three individuals familiar with the matter.

Among the states newly added to the list is Missouri, the paper reports, which has recorded 1,095 cyclosporiasis cases to date. The names of the other five states were not immediately available. 

It marks a significant expansion of the outbreak that has been linked to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms that was sold at Taco Bell and other stores.

In an update last week, health officials said at least 1,947 people were sickened in the outbreak while 98 had been hospitalized. The agency is expected to update the figures again this week.

Yesterday, the first deaths linked to the outbreak were reported in Michigan after two people who had underlying conditions died after contracting the parasite. 

Nationwide, more than 18,000 cases of cyclosporiasis across 45 states have been recorded so far this year. Not all cases have been linked to the Taylor Farms shredded lettuce recall.

There is a reporting delay between local and federal data which means CDC numbers are often behind those from state health departments. 

Health officials have previously linked shredded iceberg lettuce sold by Taylor Farms and served at Taco Bell and other stores to the major outbreak.

Taylor Farms has recalled the lettuce and shut down production at its facility in Mexico that was linked to the outbreak. But tests on the lettuce have so far returned a false positive. 

Last week, the CDC linked nine states to the outbreak of the parasite.

These were Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Michigan is at the center of the outbreak that has gripped the US, with more than 11,500 cases and 193 hospitalizations now recorded in the state. It has also registered two deaths.

This is more than double the number in the state with the second-highest number, Ohio, which has reported 4,000 cases to date.

In Michigan, health authorities say they are probing lettuce and salad greens as potential sources of the outbreak, but warn that other food items cannot be ruled out.