Parasite outbreak spreads to four new states

A nationwide outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection linked to lettuce, has spread to four additional U.S. states, bringing the total to nine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The affected states now include Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, joining Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.

Investigators have linked the outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants. The lettuce has been traced to a Mexican supplier, Taylor Farms, which has issued a voluntary recall of select lettuce products distributed by Taylor Fresh Foods.

The CDC advises consumers to avoid eating the recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico and to discard or return any purchased products. Since the outbreak began on June 22, 1,947 people have been infected, resulting in at least 98 hospitalizations. The CDC estimates the true number of illnesses is likely higher.