{"id":3782,"date":"2026-09-01T17:15:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T17:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=3782"},"modified":"2026-09-01T17:15:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T17:15:09","slug":"lettuce-linked-parasite-confirmed-in-3-new-states-see-outbreak-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=3782","title":{"rendered":"Lettuce-linked parasite confirmed in 3 new states. See outbreak map"},"content":{"rendered":"

An ongoing outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection linked to recalled iceberg lettuce that is known to cause explosive diarrhea, has been detected in three new U.S. states since last week, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).<\/p>\n

The largest recorded outbreak of the foodborne illness in U.S. history has hit 48 states plus Washington, DC, since May, resulting in thousands of illnesses. The CDC, which lags significantly behind states in reporting infections,\u00a0pinpointed\u00a017,180\u00a0laboratory-confirmed cases\u00a0in its latest update on Aug. 25, adding that there are also at least 11,841 additional non-laboratory-confirmed cases.<\/p>\n

Michigan and Ohio have led the charge in reporting cyclosporiasis incidents, with Michigan’s health department stating on Aug. 27 that it had 14,510 cases,\u00a0including the first two deaths identified in the nationwide outbreak.<\/p>\n

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Cyclosporiasis, an illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, results in unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms, often associated with food poisoning, such as diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. It is usually contracted through\u00a0contaminated food or water, and it is not generally known to be deadly; however, it can cause more serious complications in people with compromised immune systems or other underlying health issues.<\/p>\n

Cyclosporiasis illnesses linked to lettuce found in more states. See map<\/h2>\n

Lettuce-related illnesses were\u00a0previously identified in 17 states:\u00a0Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Maine and Massachusetts.<\/p>\n

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Georgia, Tennessee and\u00a0Texas have now been added to the list,\u00a0according to the CDC.<\/p>\n

Health officials identified the affected states by tracing the reported illnesses to the lettuce and testing sick people to determine whether their infections were related. Related infections are considered part of the same outbreak and are likely linked to the same source. Thus far, these states are the only ones the CDC has confirmed as related to one another and traced back to the lettuce.<\/p>\n

The agency’s case count lags about six weeks behind state-by-state numbers because of the process required to confirm and officially report an infection back to the federal level. This means states can report new cases that are not reflected in the CDC count for weeks, and new illnesses may not be tracked until more than a month after someone sees a doctor.<\/p>\n

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