Michigan health officials have reported the first two deaths from the state’s ongoing outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a foodborne illness that causes ‘explosive diarrhea.’ These fatalities are the first reported in the US since the surge of cases began earlier this year.
According to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, the deceased patients had significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration. No additional information will be provided on these two cases, the department stated on Monday.
Michigan is currently the state with the largest number of cases nationwide, with 11,234 people sickened and nearly 200 hospitalized so far. Cases in Michigan and eight other states, including West Virginia, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Kansas, Indiana, and Illinois, have been linked to contaminated lettuce.
The outbreak, which is the largest in the nation, led to salad-maker Taylor Farms’ recall of iceberg lettuce sourced from Central Mexico. The lettuce had been served at several locations of the fast-food chain Taco Bell and was also sold at retail stores. While some cases in North Carolina have been linked to parsley and cilantro, questions still surround the sources of exposure in other cases.
In a typical year, the US sees just a few thousand cases of cyclosporiasis, experts told CNN. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received 6,707 lab-confirmed cases since May 1 and is aware of more than 11,500 additional cases that are not lab-confirmed.
The agency anticipates that case counts will continue to rise due to the nature of cyclosporiasis, which can take weeks for symptoms to appear, including vomiting, nausea, and dehydration. This delay makes it challenging to trace the source of the infection, as people may have forgotten what they consumed, and tainted products may already be out of grocery stores.
