Federal health officials announced that Pennsylvania is among four additional states officially linked to a major nationwide outbreak of Cyclospora, a microscopic parasite that causes severe diarrheal illness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expanded the official outbreak map to include Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kansas, and Oklahoma. They join Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia in what has become the largest domestic outbreak of cyclosporiasis in years, with over 4,100 laboratory-confirmed cases reported nationally since May 1.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC traced the primary source of the outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico and processed by Taylor Farms.
Many affected individuals reported eating shredded lettuce at various restaurant chains—including Taco Bell—as well as purchasing packaged produce from retail grocery stores across 27 states. Taylor Farms issued a recall on affected iceberg lettuce lots, though health officials caution that contaminated produce may have entered multiple distribution channels.
In Pennsylvania, local health departments had already been monitoring a uptick in infections. Allegheny County reported 31 confirmed cases as of Friday, while the Pennsylvania Department of Health has recorded cases across the Commonwealth, with significant clusters identified in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic parasite typically found in tropical and subtropical regions. It infects food or water that has come into contact with contaminated soil or agricultural water.
Symptoms: Include watery diarrhea, “explosive” bowel movements, severe stomach cramping, nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, and weight loss.
Incubation Period: Symptoms generally begin one to two weeks after ingesting the parasite and can persist for several weeks or over a month if untreated.
Treatment: Unlike viral stomach bugs, cyclosporiasis is caused by a protozoan parasite and is effectively treated with a specific course of antibiotics (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole).
Health officials urge residents experiencing persistent gastrointestinal symptoms to contact their healthcare provider for testing, as routine stool cultures do not always detect Cyclospora unless specifically ordered.
To minimize the risk of foodborne parasitic infections, the CDC and PA Department of Health advise:
Check Recalls: Avoid recalled iceberg lettuce products linked to the Taylor Farms distribution network.
Wash Produce: Thoroughly rinse all fresh fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, peeling, or cooking, and scrub firm produce (like melons or cucumbers) with a clean brush.
Store Safely: Keep cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables refrigerated.
Federal regulators state that the joint CDC-FDA investigation remains ongoing to determine if additional produce items or distribution channels are tied to the outbreak.
