Michigan officials on Wednesday said the state's cyclosporiasis case count reached 12,218, an increase of 710 cases from the prior day. In its update the health department also confirmed the state's first two deaths associated with the outbreak, noting both individuals had significant underlying health conditions.
Authorities reported that the two Michigan patients fell ill before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce on July 17. The state also recorded 193 hospital admissions linked to the outbreak as of July 30.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented a broader rise in cyclosporiasis cases across the country in recent months, reporting that the parasite can produce symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea and other gastrointestinal distress. The CDC has received reports of 10,468 laboratory-confirmed domestic cases and is aware of more than 12,255 additional cases that are not laboratory-confirmed. The agency cautioned that its surveillance figures lag state-level reporting by several weeks.
Federal investigators have connected the multistate outbreak, which has now extended to nine states, to iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants and traced that lettuce to Taylor Farms operations in central Mexico. The FDA said its probe identified that supply chain link but that investigators are continuing to search for other potential sources of contamination.
Consumer behavior has already shown signs of change amid the uncertainty. Officials said shoppers in the United States have cut back on visits to certain restaurant chains and have purchased less lettuce at grocery stores as the multistate outbreak raised concerns about food safety.
Public health guidance points to the parasite Cyclospora as the cause of cyclosporiasis. The infection can be contracted by consuming food - typically raw fruits and vegetables - or water contaminated with feces, according to public health authorities cited in federal updates.
This situation remains under investigation at both state and federal levels, and health officials continue to monitor case counts, hospitalizations and any new links to contaminated produce or other vehicles of transmission.