Cyclospora outbreak expands to nine US states, health officials say

Cyclospora outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce from central Mexico has spread to nine U.S. states, health officials announced on Friday. Cases linked to the lettuce have been identified in Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania, according to the CDC. Additional cases were reported in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. Since mid‑May, the CDC has tracked more than 11,000 cases across 41 states. Michigan has borne the brunt, with state officials saying the number of infected individuals has risen to more than 8,100. Residents stricken by the parasite told the BBC it was "the astir achy happening I've ever been done successful my life". The CDC warned consumers not to eat the recalled iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms, which originated in central Mexico. Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled all of its iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico on July 17, stating the action was taken "out of an abundance of caution". FDA investigators initially reported that iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms tested positive for cyclospora, but later retracted the finding, calling it a false positive. Health experts speaking to the BBC noted that tracing the source of cyclospora is often difficult because symptoms may not appear for weeks after ingestion, complicating efforts to link illnesses to a specific food. Wade Syers, a food information expert at Michigan State University, told the BBC that investigations into Cyclospora outbreaks tend to unfold slowly. He said, "For Cyclospora, it's not antithetic for the representation