A severe-diarrhea-inducing parasite has now infected more than 10,000 people in Michigan, the epicenter of an outbreak that’s been reported in 45 states in the US since May.
Michigan Health and Human Services said Wednesday that it has 10,077 cases of cyclosporiasis, with 160 people hospitalized.
The state health department said that salad greens are a common source, but an investigation is ongoing and other foods could not be ruled out.
Cyclosporiasis is caused by ingesting a microscopic parasite, called cyclospora. It can cause frequent and watery diarrhea for a few days and up to a few months. An infection can be treated by common antibiotics.
The outbreak has been tied to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms, which supplied the ingredient to Taco Bell. The company has recalled products across 27 states, including bagged lettuce found at Walmart Inc. The Midwest outbreak linked to Taylor Farms has been tied to nine states, including Ohio and Illinois.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tallied more than 6,700 cases of cyclosporiasis nationwide, and says it’s aware of 11,500 more that have not been confirmed. The infection numbers from the CDC typically lag behind state tallies, partially due to the time between symptom onset and reporting to the agency.
The federal government is investigating other outbreaks of the parasite. North Carolina has reported more than 700 cases, likely linked to basil and parsley.
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