July 27 (Reuters) – Michigan health officials reported 9,253 cases in an outbreak of cyclosporiasis on Monday, an increase of 1,077 cases since its last update on Friday.
The outbreak of the intestinal infection in Michigan has resulted in 160 hospitalizations, according to the state health department’s latest update. No deaths have been reported.
Cyclosporiasis can be contracted by consuming food — typically raw fruits and vegetables — or water contaminated with feces.
The outbreak has resulted in 4,173 laboratory-confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis in the U.S., while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is aware of more than 7,400 additional cases that are not yet laboratory-confirmed, many of them in Michigan and Ohio.
The U.S. FDA and the CDC are widening their investigation into a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce from central Mexico after identifying cases in four additional states.
This outbreak now includes cases from nine states: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, the FDA said on Friday.
A total of 1,947 people infected with the cyclospora parasite, with exposure to Taco Bell, have been reported by the nine states, the FDA said, citing epidemiological data collected by CDC.
Cases of cyclosporiasis, caused by the cyclospora parasite, have been reported in at least 41 states this year, though investigators are still working to determine how many cases are linked to the outbreak tied to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms and served at Taco Bell restaurants.
(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
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