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The investigation into the origin of the cyclosporiasis outbreak, a parasitic infection causing severe diarrhea, expanded this Friday to nine states in the United States, where there are 11,573 possible cases nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported.
The federal agency added the states of Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania to its investigation, joining Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and Michigan, the latter being the most affected with 7,664 infections recorded by state authorities.
The CDC report indicated that a total of 1,947 people infected with the Cyclospora parasite "reported having been exposed to Taco Bell," a US fast-food franchise, in these nine states, in addition to patients in other regions who said they had traveled to the affected areas.
The federal agency acknowledged that it is "probable that the actual number of sick people in this multistate outbreak is higher than the reported figure, and it is possible that the outbreak is not limited to states with known illnesses," while local authorities in nearly 40 states are investigating possible infections.
US federal authorities link the outbreak to iceberg lettuce grown in Guanajuato, in central Mexico, which was subsequently distributed by the California-based company Taylor Farms to establishments such as Taco Bell.
However, the Mexican Ministry of Health reported on Thursday that tests for cyclosporiasis in lettuce from the Taylor Farms plant in the country yielded negative results.
Additionally, some US states are investigating other sources, such as the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, which stated last Friday that local cases of cyclosporiasis "do not appear to be associated with the outbreak in other states involving Taco Bell."
Officials in North Carolina are also investigating cilantro and parsley as possible sources of the disease.
The parasite in question causes cyclosporiasis, the main symptom of which is severe and frequent diarrhea, along with loss of appetite, weight loss, bloating, nausea, fatigue, low-grade fever, and vomiting, the CDC detailed.
The disease is not usually transmitted from person to person, is more frequent in the warmer months from May to August, and usually originates from contaminated fruits and vegetables.
The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota has warned that the true number of cases is unknown because the CDC made Cyclospora tracking optional starting in July 2025.
[Publicidad]