FDA: ‘Explosive Diarrhea’ from Lettuce Born Parasite Hits Three More States

The massive cyclosporiasis outbreak linking iceberg lettuce to thousands of illnesses continues to have legs, this week taking its “explosive diarrhea” and other symptoms to three new states.

That was the word from federal health authorities Thursday.

The outbreak, which has led to hundreds of hospitalizations and at least two deaths since its discovery in July, has now been detected in Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas, according to the Food and Drug Administration, Fox News business reported Saturday.

Across 20 states, 11,458 illnesses have been reported, according to the FDA.

“Health authorities have traced the multistate outbreak to contaminated iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico to Taco Bell restaurants,” Fox Business reported.

The outbreak is reportedly one of the largest food borne illness events in recent U.S. history.

According to Fox Business:

Dave Ciesinski, president and CEO of The Marzetti Company, which owns and operates a range of popular retail food brands, including refrigerated salad dressings, recently told FOX Business that the outbreak isn’t just hurting lettuce sales but also affecting how Americans shop and eat.

Sales of leafy greens tumbled as much as 30 percent at the beginning of the outbreak, he said, while vegetable sales fell roughly 16 percent to 17 percent, with fruit also declining.

“Suffice it to say, they’re changing their behavior,” Ciesinski said of consumers on the outlet’s Claman Countdown show.

The two reported deaths were in Michigan, which is one of the hardest hit states. The deceased both had underlying health conditions that contributed to their demise, according to health officials.

Cyclospora is a single-celled parasite that produces “cyclosporiasis.” Its symptoms include “watery diarrhea, fatigue, and loss of appetite,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as “bloating, cramping, and weight loss.”

“Without treatment, symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to a month or longer,” the CDC website states.

The CDC recommends consumers wash their hands and any fresh produce under running water “before eating, cutting, or cooking.” Cooking can kill the parasite.

Breitbart contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the author of the New York Times true crime best seller House of Secrets and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.