Michigan lifts lettuce advisory as cyclospora cases fall

Michigan health officials announced on Thursday, August 6, that residents can resume normal consumption of lettuce and salad greens as a widespread outbreak of cyclosporiasis shows signs of slowing. The state's Department of Health and Human Services lifted its broad precautionary recommendation to avoid bagged salad mixes, citing a decline in new case reports and emergency department visits.

Since June, Michigan has reported 12,485 cases of the parasitic illness, including 279 hospitalizations and two deaths. Officials stated that most exposures likely occurred in late June or early July, and the majority of the contaminated produce is no longer available. The outbreak has been linked to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico, which initiated a recall on July 17. The lettuce was sold in grocery store salad kits and used by restaurants, including Taco Bell, which removed the affected product in certain states.

The outbreak now spans 15 states, with federal health officials confirming cases from Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and North Carolina are connected to the same strain. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tallied...