The Houston area and its neighboring counties continue to monitor cyclospora cases as the FDA pulls back on part of its investigation into a multi-state outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce.
The agency says a Taylor Fresh Foods sample that initially tested positive turned out to be a false positive after a second review. The FDA says it now has no confirmed positive product tests — but is still working to ensure recalled lettuce is off store shelves.
In Texas, state health officials have confirmed 98 cases so far. KPRC 2 reached out to multiple local health departments and here’s what we know:
Fort Bend County has 20 suspected cases. Montgomery County has nine. Brazoria County has one confirmed case and four suspected cases. Galveston County has seven confirmed cases and six pending investigations. Harris County has not yet responded to KPRC 2’s request for information.
What is cyclospora — and how does it spread?
Cyclospora is a microscopic, single-celled parasite known to cause intestinal illness. Too small to be seen without a microscope, it is typically found in soil, water and on certain fresh produce.
Dr. Linda Yancey, an infectious disease specialist with Memorial Hermann, says the type of produce matters when it comes to risk.
“It is possible to wash this parasite off of produce, and so the type of produce that tends to cause problems are things that are very difficult to wash — precut lettuce, raspberries, blackberries, anything that is difficult to wash,” Yancey said.
Her advice for shoppers? Make some simple swaps at the grocery store.
“If you want lettuce, instead of the bagged precut lettuce, go ahead and buy a head of lettuce, discard the outer few leaves and the interior will be perfectly safe,” Yancey said. “If you want fruit, go for fruit that are easier to wash, like grapes and blueberries.”
Symptoms to watch for
Symptoms of cyclospora typically appear about one week after exposure and can include watery diarrhea — which can be frequent and sometimes explosive — abdominal cramping and bloating, nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue and weight loss.
Yancey says tracing the origin of a cyclospora outbreak is particularly challenging due to the parasite’s long incubation period.
“Cyclospora can be difficult to trace down an origin, mainly because it has such a long incubation period — up to 10 days,” Yancey said. “Historically, this is something we see a lot, and it’s entirely possible to have more than one outbreak going on at the same time. We’ve seen that in the past.”
An origin for this outbreak has yet to be determined.