A second cyclosporiasis outbreak has been reported amid the broader crisis linked to lettuce, a top doctor has warned.
MS NOW senior medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta said a new outbreak is sickening Americans while authorities continue to investigate lettuce from Taylor Farms, which has affected about 4,000 people nationwide so far.
The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it was investigating a new cyclosporiasis outbreak after 72 people fell ill. The source of this second outbreak has yet to be identified, and health authorities have not disclosed where these cases were reported.
“One, [it’s] concerning that there’s multiple potential outbreaks at the same time. We don’t have an identified source,” Gupta said Thursday. “Two, this is yet another example of the importance of investing in surveillance.”
“All the resources that were deprecated last July, now those decisions are being brought to bear on the American people,” he continued. “This is usually something we don’t even know about because these are prevented before they become these large-scale outbreaks. We haven’t seen these types of case counts ever before for cyclospora.”
Cyclospora, an intestinal parasite, causes severe diarrhea, stomach pain, and nausea, among several other symptoms. If left untreated, cyclosporiasis could lead to dehydration and severe complications that could last up to more than a month.
The illness has sickened more than 4,000 Americans across 41 states since it broke out on May 1, according to the CDC. There have been hundreds of hospitalizations but no deaths.
“In terms of what you should do, to put it very quickly, if you’re medically higher risk, over 65, immunocompromised condition, make sure you avoid any form of bagged lettuce, is my opinion on this matter, not just Taylor Farms,” Gupta said.
Earlier this week, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sought to assure Americans that the cyclosporiasis outbreak is “under control” while rebuffing concerns that budget cuts have negatively impacted surveillance and the investigation.
“All the states will tell you that we’re still doing forensics. We’re still doing surveillance in all the states,” he insisted.
On July 18, the FDA reported that a sample of lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico tested positive for cyclospora. The following day, it said the result was actually a false positive.
On Tuesday, however, Mexican Health Minister David Kershenobich said no evidence has been found showing that the produce originated from the central Mexican state of Guanajuato.
“So far, no evidence has been found to indicate that it originated there,” he said in a press conference. “However, we are taking all precautions in case that were the case.”
