Why are investigators struggling to find the source of the cyclosporiasis outbreak?

1A | Jul 21

You may have heard of a parasite that’s causing some gastrointestinal distress.

Cyclospora has sickened thousands of people across 34 states this summer – more than six times the number reported at this point last year. The CDC has linked a major cluster to shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell in some states. And Taylor Farms de Mexico has now pulled all of its iceberg lettuce from the U.S. market despite an FDA finding that reports that its product contained the parasite were a false positive.

We answer your questions about what cyclosporiasis is, how you get it, and why investigators have had such a hard time finding the source.

We got a statement from the White House:

The Trump administration’s top concern is the health and safety of the American people. The White House has been closely monitoring the CDC and FDA’s efforts to contain and trace this Cyclospora outbreak, and stands by to provide any assistance either agency needs to leave no stone unturned in this effort.

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