Cyclosporiasis outbreak exposes a weakened US public health system

Cyclosporiasis outbreak exposes a weakened US public health system - YUM News | Rallies

Federal response and contaminated lettuce link

On July 16, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked an outbreak that the agencies now say has sickened over 11,000 people in 20 states to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants. Two people died.

The next day, the agencies confirmed the lettuce came from the Mexico operations of U.S. produce company Taylor Farms. Taylor Farms issued a recall the same day.

Michigan public health officials said the government announcement came far too late. By then, Washtenaw County was swamped with cases. State officials have said lettuce is once again safe to eat, but the cyclosporiasis surge has raised questions about how well the U.S. is equipped to respond to the next outbreak.

As Michigan scrambled to contain the outbreak, some health workers dropped their usual duties. A nurse stopped giving vaccinations and some restaurant inspectors paused health inspections to call hundreds of sick patients.

In late June, weeks before the U.S. government outbreak announcement, Michigan health officials alerted the FDA and CDC about an unusually high number of cyclosporiasis cases. On July 4, as residents set up barbecues and picnics for the Independence Day holiday, Michigan advised residents to avoid lettuce and a handful of other fruits and vegetables. The state's chief medical executive said the move likely prevented more infections.

But in the weeks before the federal announcement, the illness spread rapidly across Michigan and the country. Washtenaw County, which logged a handful of cases per day in late June, was recording 80 cases a day by mid-July.

The FDA defended its response, saying it quickly conducted its analysis tracing the contaminated food.

“It wasn’t until the states received necessary information from suppliers on July 13 that the FDA could use that information to determine which commodity was the likely vehicle,” an FDA spokesperson said.

Taylor Farms has said it quickly recalled the affected lettuce and hired independent experts to review its food-safety protocols. Taco Bell has said it voluntarily removed Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants.

States and counties take on extra work

Patients and local staff describe the toll

Outbreak overwhelms local health departments

Federal response and contaminated lettuce link

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