The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a cyclospora outbreak has produced at least 7,000 confirmed and suspected cases across 36 states and 141 hospitalisations, with infections first rising in May in Michigan. Gwen Biggerstaff, deputy director of the CDC division of foodborne, waterborne, and environmental diseases, said the parasite spreads when people consume food or water contaminated with it, typically fresh produce that has not been adequately washed or cooked, and that many mild infections go uncounted. The CDC expects the outbreak to continue well into August and says the illness typically takes about a week to appear and causes persistent watery diarrhoea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements. Michigan public health teams completed more than 1,000 meal-tracing interviews as part of efforts to identify the contaminated item. While current results point to lettuce or salad greens as a potential source, the CDC and Michigan health officials say no specific type of produce, grower, supplier, outlet, or ingredient has been confirmed as the source. Taco Bell told USA Today it voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precaution, and health officials have not confirmed a link to the chain. Officials say tracing cyclospora is difficult because symptoms can appear up to two weeks after exposure, testing produce requires washing large volumes and testing runoff, and states use different reporting practices that complicate national case counts.
