Cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to lettuce expands to 15 states

A multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic intestinal illness, has expanded to 15 states and resulted in the first two U.S. deaths, health officials confirmed this week. The outbreak, which has sickened tens of thousands, is primarily linked to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms from central Mexico.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the outbreak now includes Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and North Carolina, in addition to the nine states previously identified: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The expansion reflects the complex nature of tracking the illness, where symptoms can take weeks to appear.

Michigan has emerged as the epicenter, reporting more than 12,000 cases and the nation's first two fatalities. State health officials said both individuals who died had significant underlying health conditions and became ill before the voluntary recall of the implicated lettuce was announced on July 17. The state has also recorded 279 hospitalizations.

The FDA's investigation has focused on Taylor Farms, which supplied...