Key facts
- The CDC plans to establish a formal response team for the Cyclospora outbreak.
- Nearly 23,000 people have been infected across 47 states.
- Two deaths have been reported, linked to individuals with underlying health conditions.
- The outbreak has been linked to Taylor Farms' shredded iceberg lettuce.
- Six additional states have been added to the list of linked cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reportedly planning to establish a formal response team to address the widespread Cyclospora outbreak that has affected nearly 23,000 people across 47 states. The outbreak, which began in June, has led to over 500 hospitalizations and two reported deaths, both in individuals with significant underlying health conditions.
Federal health officials have expanded the list of states with linked cases from nine to 15. Investigations by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have traced the outbreak to Taylor Farms' shredded iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico. Despite these developments, public outbreak pages on the CDC and FDA websites have lagged in providing updated information.
Taylor Farms and the Trump administration have faced scrutiny over their communication regarding the outbreak. Reports indicate Taylor Farms appealed to the White House to delay announcing a recall, and the company made a $1 million donation to a Trump-supporting super PAC shortly before the administration delayed an FDA rule on food traceability. Mexico's health minister initially questioned the link to lettuce from Mexico, but subsequent reports of cyclosporiasis cases in travelers returning from Mexico have strengthened the connection.