Cyclospora (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
ATLANTA - Federal health officials added Georgia to a growing nationwide parasite outbreak Thursday, expanding the scope of a major public health investigation linked to recalled iceberg lettuce.
Georgia, Tennessee and Texas joined 17 other states reporting infections, pushing the total number of confirmed cases to 11,458.
The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention narrowed their investigation to central Mexico produce grown by Taylor Farms. FDA officials said they remain confident that all recalled iceberg lettuce related to this specific outbreak has been pulled from store shelves and dining locations.
What we know:
The microscopic organism Cyclospora infects the human digestive tract, spreading through contaminated feces and leading to severe intestinal symptoms.
Infected patients typically experience watery diarrhea, explosive bowel movements, stomach cramps and extreme fatigue. Health officials noted that cyclosporiasis occurs far less frequently than bacterial infections like salmonella or E. coli.
Federal surveillance data shows unprecedented national numbers this spring and summer. The CDC reported 17,180 laboratory-confirmed domestic cases nationwide since May 1, resulting in 922 hospitalizations and two deaths.
What we don't know:
Health officials have not yet determined how the parasite originally contaminated the farming water or soil in central Mexico.
The CDC noted that the true number of sick individuals remains unknown because many people recover without medical testing. Federal agencies are also investigating six additional national illness clusters where the specific food sources have not been confirmed.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state health departments, which provided official outbreak updates, testing records and epidemiological tracking data.