Aug 13 (Reuters) – Michigan on Thursday reported 13,909 cases linked to an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an increase of roughly 11% from last week, as the state continued to account for the bulk of cases in the multi-state outbreak of the parasitic illness.
Despite a weekly jump in cases, state health officials said new cyclosporiasis case reports and related emergency department visits were declining, adding that residents could resume routine guidance for consuming lettuce and salad greens. The department had last week said new case reports appeared to be slowing.
Michigan, the hardest-hit state, reported two deaths associated with the outbreak last week, with officials saying both individuals had significant underlying health conditions.
Wayne County had the highest number of cases at 1,794, followed by Oakland County with 1,344. People aged 30 to 39 accounted for the largest number of cases by age group, with 2,615 infections.
The state health department said 314 of those infected were hospitalized.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 13,895 laboratory-confirmed cyclosporiasis cases across 47 states in the United States, as of August 11.
Michigan health officials cleared shoppers to put lettuce back in their grocery carts, but the outbreak has shaken consumer confidence in fresh produce beyond just recalled products, hitting sales at restaurant chains and supermarkets.
Acting U.S. FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas said Americans should remain confident in the safety of fresh produce after the agency finalized guidance on produce preparation and packaging in an effort to counter persistent foodborne outbreaks.
(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole, Mariam Sunny and Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
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