In the US, more than 1,600 people became infected with the parasite due to iceberg lettuce

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating an outbreak of cyclosporiasis associated with shredded iceberg lettuce. The disease was detected in 1,644 people in five states, 94 patients were hospitalized. No deaths were recorded.

The cases reported eating at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. Data analysis showed that 90% of patients surveyed consumed iceberg lettuce. The FDA’s investigation led experts to one supplier – Taylor Farms de Mexico, which supplied lettuce from central Mexico. The company recalled the product from the U.S. market and Taco Bell stopped using it.

The recall also includes a number of packages of Marketside brand lettuce and sliced ​​iceberg sold at Walmart, as well as products supplied to restaurants and other food service establishments in multiple states. However, the FDA clarified that a laboratory result initially considered positive for the presence of the parasite was found to be a false positive after retesting. The lettuce was linked to the outbreak based on epidemiological data and supply chain tracing. The study of samples continues.

Cyclosporaosis is caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which enters the body through contaminated food or water. The disease usually appears in about a week and causes watery diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue. Without treatment, symptoms may last for several weeks, disappear and then return. The infection can be especially severe in children, the elderly, and patients with weakened immune systems.

The CDC recommends rinsing vegetables thoroughly under running water, removing damaged areas and outer leaves, storing cut vegetables in the refrigerator, and keeping them away from raw meat. However, regular washing reduces contamination, but does not guarantee the removal of Cyclospora: the parasite is resistant to standard disinfectants. The FDA allows vegetables labeled “washed and ready to eat” to be used without further washing, but the CDC’s updated recommendations recommend that even these products be rinsed.

The outbreak is not associated with products sold in Israel. However, the recommendations of the FDA and CDC are worth considering.