Good folks throughout the US are looking at their lettuce fearfully. They're also side-eyeing their raspberries. They're anxious the cilantro on their tacos might knock them down, potentially for weeks. That little iceberg salad that comes with your kids' Happy Meal? Some may wish to pass.
This collective freakout traces back to a summer surge in cyclosporiasis, the intestinal illness caused by a parasite that travels in human feces and can hitch a ride into our food supply. We're in the middle of the largest recorded outbreak of the disease in American history. Michigan alone has logged more than 6,500 cases since late June, a state that typically sees about 50 a year, total.
The number keeps climbing by the hundreds daily. Health officials say more than 100 people have been hospitalized. Nationally, the CDC has confirmed well over 1,600 domestically acquired cases across dozens of states, with thousands more awaiting classification.
The prime suspect: shredded iceberg lettuce. The FDA has linked a chunk of the outbreak to lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in five states, and Taylor Fresh Foods has voluntarily recalled iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico. A lawsuit from a Michigan couple against both Taco Bell and Taylor Farms is already in motion. One lettuce sample that initially tested positive for the parasite turned out to be a false positive — but the FDA says that doesn't change the underlying case against the recalled product.
Cyclospora doesn't spread person to person. You get it from contaminated food or water, and the parasite is stubborn, routine washing and standard disinfectants won't kill it. Health officials say cooking greens to at least 158°F is the only sure fix, which is a tough sell for a salad.
Symptoms show up about a week after exposure: watery, explosive diarrhea, cramping, nausea, fatigue, and unwanted weight loss. Untreated, it can drag on for weeks and come and go in waves. Nobody's died from this outbreak. But plenty of people are rethinking their lunch.
My wife has come up with a good solution. We are growing organic lettuce in our patio.
https://www.thekitchn.com/types-of-lettuce-explainer-23312912
