Some US states are facing a large and growing outbreak of diarrhea caused by cyclospora, a microscopic parasite that can contaminate fresh food or water.
Iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms has been recalled, and it’s likely that contaminated products have already been eaten or removed from shelves.
“We do have the outbreak under control,” US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday, noting the recall.
But illness can take a while to appear, and the epidemiological curve of new cases hasn’t yet slowed.
Health officials are racing to trace the details of cases in an ongoing investigation, but the parasite is notoriously difficult to find. Testing produce can be challenging, and people who are sick may be asked to remember what they ate weeks earlier to help identify a common thread.
