US Links 6,358 Illnesses to Lettuce and 346 to Jalapeños as Recalls Spread Across States
Updated
Updated · abcnews.com · Aug 7
US Links 6,358 Illnesses to Lettuce and 346 to Jalapeños as Recalls Spread Across States
3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Aug 7
Summary
At least 6,358 cyclosporiasis cases, 278 hospitalizations and two deaths have been tied to shredded iceberg lettuce, while a separate jalapeño-linked salmonella outbreak has reached 346 cases and 26 hospitalizations with no deaths.
The lettuce outbreak now spans 15 states after investigators expanded it beyond Taco Bell to food-service, retail and restaurant channels; the jalapeño outbreak covers 27 states, with Chipotle and Qdoba removing the recalled peppers.
Both products were sourced in Mexico—iceberg lettuce from central Mexico via Taylor Farms and jalapeños from Sinaloa via Coast Citrus Distributors—and officials hope new cases will fall now that the items have been pulled.
Investigators say tracing foodborne illness remains slow because patients must recall what they ate days or weeks earlier, a challenge especially acute for Cyclospora, whose symptoms can take up to two weeks to appear.
Former officials say CDC and FDA cuts may be slowing the response, citing FDA staffing down about 20%, CDC down 25%, and one cyclospora surveillance lab team reduced to three from 11.