North Carolina Declares 561-Case Cyclosporiasis Outbreak as Officials Suspect Multiple Food Sources
Updated
Updated · WRAL News · Jul 21
North Carolina Declares 561-Case Cyclosporiasis Outbreak as Officials Suspect Multiple Food Sources
3 articles · Updated · WRAL News · Jul 21
Summary
North Carolina said 561 cyclosporiasis cases have been reported since May, including 254 added since July 14, prompting officials to classify the surge as a statewide outbreak.
Wake County accounts for 350 cases, but health officials said the pattern likely does not point to one product; they suspect multiple contaminated foods rather than a single source.
CDC is tracking more than 1,500 cases across five states and linked some to shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell, while North Carolina said lettuce is probably not the only driver locally.
Cyclospora investigations can take weeks or months because symptoms often appear 2 to 14 days after exposure and patients struggle to recall what they ate; fresh produce may also be gone before tracebacks begin.
After a 2024 outbreak of more than 130 cases tied to a shrimp-and-parsley salad, state and local agencies expanded joint interviews, ingredient tracebacks and genetic testing as they again search for the source.