Six additional states have reported illnesses connected to a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to contaminated lettuce, though health experts say the newly recorded cases may reflect delayed diagnoses rather than continued spread.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis associated with contaminated lettuce has now affected 15 states after six additional states were added to the list of jurisdictions reporting cases.
Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Carolina have joined Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, according to an NBC News report citing an unidentified source.
The outbreak has resulted in hundreds of hospitalizations and at least two deaths since early May.
Cyclosporiasis is caused by Cyclospora, a microscopic parasite associated with human fecal contamination. People can become infected after consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite.
The addition of more states does not necessarily mean contaminated lettuce is continuing to circulate or that the outbreak is actively expanding, according to Dr. Stephen Ostroff, a former acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
Ostroff told NBC News that some of the newly reported patients may have eaten contaminated lettuce several weeks earlier but were diagnosed only recently. Delays between exposure, illness, testing and official reporting can cause the geographic scope of an outbreak to appear larger over time even after the original exposure period has passed.
The latest additions bring the reported reach of the outbreak across the Midwest, South and Northeast, while investigators continue examining illnesses connected to the lettuce.
Original article
Comments