The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that federal health officials have identified a new cyclospora outbreak stemming from an unspecified product.
A spokesperson for the agency said the FDA has initiated a traceback, which investigators use to follow a potentially contaminated food product through the supply chain to identify outbreak origins, and said, "This is an active investigation."
The FDA said the probe is the latest among several cyclospora investigations, including one linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms that has been blamed for thousands of illnesses in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky; that investigation prompted Taylor Farms to voluntarily recall all of its iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico.
The FDA said a separate outbreak has resulted in at least 10 cases, and that another outbreak has ended but remains under investigation.
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that typically infects people through contaminated food or water and causes a gastrointestinal illness called cyclosporiasis, which can result in symptoms like severe and sometimes "explosive" diarrhea; cooking can kill the parasite, but officials say washing fruits and vegetables is not enough.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it has received reports of 1,645 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis since May 1, including 141 patients who were hospitalized, and said it is aware of more than 5,100 cases that require further analysis to confirm.
Michigan health officials said Thursday there are 7,664 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis in the state, and the CDC noted, "Because cyclosporiasis is often underdiagnosed and underreported, the true number of illnesses is likely higher than what has been reported."