The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is carrying out traceback investigations on multiple produce items as officials attempt to determine the origin of an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, the agency said Tuesday.
According to guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection that people can acquire by consuming food - most often raw fruits and vegetables - or drinking water that has been contaminated with feces.
A CDC official told reporters the agency is aware of 5,100 additional reports of cyclospora that require confirmation. In response to the volume of reports, the CDC has issued a health alert advising physicians to increase testing for cyclosporiasis.
Officials at the CDC also said they plan to update the public on cyclosporiasis case counts more frequently, moving from a monthly update cadence to weekly postings to reflect developments more promptly.
An FDA official said the agency is aware of a signal identified by Michigan that implicates lettuce in the outbreak, and investigators are including that lead as they trace distribution and supply chain links for the produce items under review.
So far, public health investigators have identified epidemiological links tying the outbreak to four states: Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky, a CDC official said.
What officials are doing
- FDA: conducting traceback investigations on several produce items to locate potential points of contamination.
- CDC: reviewing and confirming 5,100 additional reports of cyclospora and urging clinicians to test for cyclosporiasis through a health alert.
- CDC reporting cadence: shifting from monthly to weekly case updates to provide more frequent information.
Current status and limits of the investigation
The investigation remains active. Agencies have not announced a confirmed common source. Officials are following leads, including a lettuce-related signal flagged in Michigan, and are working to corroborate and confirm reported cases. The CDC has emphasized the need for clinician testing to ensure accurate case confirmation.