Since May, there have been 561 reported cases of the severe intestinal illness cyclosporiasis in North Carolina, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
The majority of those cases have been reported in Wake County, and almost half of those cases have been reported in the past week. Across the state, there have also been at least 16 hospitalizations since the beginning of May that are connected to the outbreak, with five of them in Wake County, according to the county's health department.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection that people can contract if they consume food or water contaminated with a microscopic parasite called cyclospora. Symptoms can include severe diarrhea, nausea and cramping. The Food and Drug Administration strongly recommends thoroughly cleaning fresh produce before consuming it, as well as washing hands for at least 20 seconds before and after handling raw produce.
The FDA is still determining the source of the cyclospora outbreak. And North Carolina health officials say that the state's cyclosporiasis cases do not involve Taco Bell restaurants, though they are linked to parsley, cilantro, and lettuce.
As a precautionary measure, Wake County Public Schools System and Durham Public Schools are temporarily removing fresh produce from their school lunch menus. DPS spokesperson Crystal Roberts wrote in an emailed statement that all fresh produce has been removed from the schools' menus until September. WCPSS spokesperson Michael Hyland also wrote in an email that all salads, parsley, and cilantro have been removed from their menus, and they will keep monitoring CDC guidance. Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, which are closed for the summer, have not yet made a decision regarding fresh produce.
Earlier this month, federal officials linked iceberg lettuce grown or processed by Taylor Farms in Mexico and used in Taco Bell meals as the source of the contamination, but on Sunday discovered that their test of Taylor Farms lettuce generated a false positive for the parasite. The FDA is still recommending against eating iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms. Nationwide, there are over 1,600 cases of cyclosporiasis across dozens of states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
State health officials have been providing weekly updates on the cyclosporiasis outbreak.
Sascha Cordner, Sharryse Piggott, Colin Campbell, and Liz Schlemmer also contributed to this story.
