FDA cyclospora investigation: Parasite detected at Mexican farm linked to massive lettuce outbreak
2 people die in Michigan Cyclospora outbreak
Two people have died in Michigan as a result of the state's Cyclospora outbreak. Dr. Evan Nadler of George Washington University joined Bowen Kedrowicz on LiveNOW from FOX with the latest on the outbreak and how you can stay safe.
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced that inspectors found the parasite cyclospora at a Mexican farm linked to the largest outbreak of its kind in U.S. history.
Cyclospora in lettuce
What we know:
The announcement comes more than six weeks after the agency sent its investigators to the farm in Guanajuato, Mexico.
FDA inspectors said they found cyclospora in two places: a wastewater tank and a drainage ditch used for lettuce cultivation.
FILE - Lettuce seen on a farm. (Getty Images)
What we don't know:
While it's unclear how the contamination took place, the FDA said the samples provide "strong epidemiological data" linking the outbreak to the Taylor Farms site.
Taylor Farms responds
In a separate statement, Taylor Farms attributed the contamination cited by FDA to an independent grower "who is no longer part of our supplier program."
What they're saying:
"Our facility remains closed in central Mexico as we work with our research team to implement enhanced safety protocols from the field to the facility," the company said.
Cyclospora outbreak ends, officials say
U.S. officials last month declared the outbreak had ended.
FDA officials said they are confident that all recalled iceberg lettuce related to this specific outbreak is off the market.
The backstory:
Nearly 13,000 reported cyclospora cases were tied to the multistate outbreak, federal officials said. They represent the bulk of an unprecedented surge in the parasitic diarrheal illness this year.
The worst previous year in the U.S. for infections was 2019, when about 4,700 illnesses were reported nationally.
Dig deeper:
Cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea "with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements," according to the CDC. Outbreaks tend to occur most often in the late spring and summer.
The illness, called cyclosporiasis, is less common than foodborne illnesses caused by other germs, including salmonella and E. coli. Many cases are never linked to a specific food or other source.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press and previous reporting by LiveNOW from FOX. This story was reported from San Jose.