(WXYZ) — A new cyclosporiasis outbreak is under investigation by the Food and Drug Administration.
The FDA says the new cyclosporiasis outbreak involves at least 72 illnesses. According to the FDA’s active investigations page, the product or products linked to the illnesses have not been identified. They also have not identified the location. The agency has started what is called a traceback investigation. This means they’re working backward through the food supply chain to try to determine where the contamination may have happened.
Now, this new cluster is one of at least four active Cyclospora outbreaks the FDA is investigating. The largest outbreak - in Michigan - has been associated with recalled iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms. That said, Michigan health officials say other food items have not been ruled out. As for the other active outbreaks, the FDA has not yet identified any source.
Historically, we've seen Cyclospora outbreaks linked to different types of fresh produce like herbs, berries, and green onions.
It is unusual to have separate Cyclospora outbreaks happening at the same time, but it does occur. In fact, in 2018 there were separate outbreaks linked to McDonald’s salads and Del Monte vegetable trays.
Different foods, farms or supply chains can become contaminated independently. The parasite loves our hot summers. It spreads through food or water contaminated with human waste, and warm weather helps it mature. That’s one reason cases increase during this time of year.
Another challenge is finding this parasite. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. It’s microscopic, and contamination levels can be extremely low, which makes it hard to detect.
Then there’s the fact that symptoms can take days or even longer to appear. By the time investigators begin asking questions, the contaminated food may already be gone.
Plus, standard sanitizing methods, like chlorine-based washes, are not reliable for eliminating Cyclospora.
And then there’s our modern food supply system. Fresh produce can travel through many steps before reaching your plate. That means a single contamination event can potentially affect people in multiple states.
So, these investigations can take time because health officials have to carefully piece together many different clues. Unfortunately, the exact source is not always found.
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