Although US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared Tuesday that the parasitic epidemic was “under control” in the United States, new cases of cyclosporosis do not appear to be declining.
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Here is a portrait of the situation in the United States.
The number of cases
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded nearly 7,000 cases of cyclosporosis last week, including 1,645 confirmed cases and approximately 5,100 other suspected cases.
The CDC data, however, only covers confirmed cases and has not been updated since last week. According to CNN, the figures reported by the different states are significantly higher.
Two investigations also remain open into several outbreaks of cyclosporosis.
States affected
Cases linked to the outbreak have been reported in five states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
Michigan has the largest number of cases, with 6,571 infections recorded, according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.
This strong progression “strongly suggests that the vast majority of these cases are associated with the same epidemic”, we specify.
Ohio has reported at least 1,244 cases, Indiana 511, West Virginia 195 and Kentucky 192.
The CDC also emphasizes that the actual toll could exceed the reported figures, and that the epidemic would not necessarily be limited only to the states where cases have been recorded.
At least 94 people have been hospitalized in this outbreak, including more than 100 in Michigan.
The foods in question
Last week, Taylor Farms lettuce supplied to Taco Bell restaurants was identified as a potential source of the contamination.
The company removed the product from its restaurants and recalled its deliveries in 27 states.
No other food has been formally identified as a vector of this epidemic.
However, basil, coriander, berries and snow peas are among the foods most often associated with episodes of cyclosporosis.
