The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Monday that two people had died after developing intestinal illness and dehydration linked to the outbreak. Both individuals had significant underlying health conditions.
The deaths are the first fatal cases associated with a cyclospora outbreak reported in the United States.
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“This development highlights the importance of identifying the source of the outbreak and preventing additional illnesses,” Wade Syers, a food safety specialist at Michigan State University Extension, told Reuters.
The US Department of Health and Human Services said it was aware of the deaths. Michigan health officials said there were no new updates on the investigation.
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that can cause cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness typically associated with prolonged and sometimes severe watery diarrhoea. Other symptoms can include nausea and gastrointestinal discomfort.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cyclosporiasis is rarely fatal, while outbreaks are more common during late spring and summer.
Federal authorities have identified lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell restaurants in five US states as a source of the current outbreak, although investigators are continuing to search for other possible sources.
The scale of the outbreak has continued to grow. As of July 28, the CDC had recorded 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis nationwide, along with more than 11,500 suspected cases still awaiting confirmation or further investigation.
Michigan has reported an especially sharp increase. State health authorities said Monday that the number of outbreak-linked cases had risen to 11,234, compared with 461 cases reported in an update just days earlier.
The outbreak has also resulted in 193 hospitalisations in Michigan, according to the state health department.
Health officials are continuing to investigate the outbreak while urging greater attention to identifying contaminated food sources and preventing further infections.
