The number of people infected with cyclospora in Palm Beach County has risen again.
There are 26 cases of cyclosporiasis — which can cause explosive diarrhea and other severe symptoms — in the county since the start of its latest outbreak on May 1, according to the Florida Department of Health’s Aug. 22 update. Three of those cases were reported in the week leading up to the update.
The people with cyclosporiasis in Palm Beach County are 10 years of age or older. Eleven of them became infected in Florida, seven became infected outside of the U.S. and the source of the other eight cases is unknown. Two cases were reported in June, 14 were reported in July and 10 were reported in August.
illnesses in Florida
Starting in May, 476 people reported cases in Florida, with Miami-Dade County reporting the most with 60 cases. There were nearly 17,200 confirmed cases across the nation, and more than 11,800 additional cases that were reported but have not yet been confirmed, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
State health officials in Michigan said two people in the state died from the illness. There have been 922 hospitalizations in the U.S.
“We tend to see more cases during the warmer months because this is when fresh produce consumption increases and many of the fruits and vegetables associated with cyclospora are widely available,” wrote Dr. Kami Kim, a professor of medicine at the University of South Florida, in a prepared statement.
“While most people won't become ill, it's important to recognize the symptoms and seek medical care if diarrhea is severe or persists.”
What is cyclosporiasis?
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Cyclosporiasis is an illness caused by the cyclospora parasite, and the parasite isn't exclusive to lettuce. People can become infected by consuming contaminated fruits and vegetables or water. It is not typically spread from person to person.
Symptoms can begin anytime from two days to two weeks or more after exposure, according to the CDC. Past outbreaks in the U.S. have been linked to raspberries, cabbage, basil, cilantro, parsley, broccoli, snow peas, sugar snap peas and leafy greens, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The most common symptoms include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating, increased gas, nausea and fatigue. Less common symptoms include low-grade fever and vomiting, according to the CDC. Some people may not have any symptoms.
Most healthy people make a full recovery, but children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are more vulnerable to complications.
Where and which foods is the cyclospora outbreak coming from?
According to investigations by the Food and Drug Administration, the CDC and state health officials, the latest outbreak has been linked to Taylor Farms, which issued a voluntary recall on July 17 of iceberg lettuce products from Taylor Farms de Mexico.
That lettuce was sold to Taco Bell locations in multiple states, as well as to retail stores, restaurants and food-service customers.
The recall includes Marketside-brand products sold at Walmart described as “Iceberg Salad 12-oz or 24-oz” and “Shredded Lettuce 8-oz or 16-oz” with best-by dates of July 18 to Aug. 3, according to the FDA.
Some of the recalled Marketside products were sold at Walmart stores in Florida. Walmart pulled 12-ounce and 24-ounce bags of "Marketside Bagged Iceberg Salad" and 8-ounce and 16-ounce bags of "Marketside Bagged Shredded Iceberg Salad."
"The health and safety of our customers is a top priority," wrote a Walmart spokesperson in a prepared statement. "Although there is no indication that products sold in our stores are affected by the current Cyclospora investigations, we have removed four bagged iceberg lettuce salad products from select locations as a precaution after receiving notice from our supplier.”
There were no confirmed illnesses among people who ate the Marketside salad, the spokesperson said. Walmart instructs people who purchased the bagged iceberg lettuce salads to discard them or return them for a full refund.
Other grocery store chains with locations in Palm Beach County sell Taylor Farms products, but were not explicitly listed in the FDA’s report to have sold any of the recalled products. These include Publix, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, The Fresh Market, Winn-Dixie and Target.
Federal health officials are still trying to find the source of smaller case clusters.
What states have the cyclospora outbreak?
Cyclosporiasis has spread to 48 states, plus Washington, D.C.
The only states that haven't reported cases include Delaware and Hawaii, according to a CDC map.
Maya Washburn is a Trending News Reporter for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cyclospora cases rise in Palm Beach County. How many people are sick?
