Cyclospora Outbreak That Has Sickened Nearly 13K Has Ended, CDC Says

Federal health officials on Friday revealed the conclusion of a deadly lettuce outbreak that has sickened nearly 13,000 people in 21 states, including Georgia.

This summer's cyclospora outbreak put the nation on alert as potentially contaminated iceberg lettuce was yanked from store shelves and a popular restaurant.

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Cyclospora is a parasite that causes cyclosporiasis, whose symptoms include "explosive" diarrhea.

Two people have died, and more than 1,000 people have been hospitalized, since the start of the outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest data published Tuesday.

There have been 19,595 lab-confirmed cases of the diarrhea-causing illness since May 1 in 49 states and the District of Columbia, data showed.

However, amid the July 17 lettuce recall, the CDC reported there have been 12,883 illnesses in 21 states connected to the multi-state outbreak. In Georgia, the illness sickened 50-199 people.

There were 6,149 cases of cyclosporiasis that have not been lab confirmed, the CDC said.

Iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico was identified as the source of the outbreak.

The company initiated a nationwide recall after its products were linked to illnesses reported by people who had eaten at Taco Bell. The recall also covered Marketside iceberg lettuce sold at Walmart.

RELATED: Is Lettuce Safe To Eat Again? Latest On Cyclospora Outbreak In GA

What Happens Now?

Now that the CDC has declared the cyclospora outbreak over, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday said efforts are being turned to post-response.

Several questions remain, including about the outbreak's origin. The parasite, cyclospora, is spread through human feces, and it still isn't clear how sewage could have contaminated enough food to sicken so many people.

"This contamination can happen if produce is grown in soil or comes into contact with water that has been contaminated," said Ellen Shumaker, director of outreach for a North Carolina State University food safety program, Safe Plates.

The FDA will continue to investigate infections linked to Taylor Farm's iceberg lettuce and other cyclospora outbreak clusters from the summer, the agency said.

The Taylor Farms recall involved thousands of packaged salad products combining iceberg lettuce with other vegetables. The products were shipped to major U.S. restaurant chains, including Yum Brands, which owns Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC.

The CDC said the administration's "onsite inspections and sample collection at iceberg lettuce growers and the processing facility in Mexico" has come to an end.

Any samples gathered during onsite inspections are pending analysis, the CDC said.

Michigan was the hardest hit state, with the most reported cases and the two U.S. deaths tied to the outbreak.

The worst previous year in the U.S. for infections was 2019, when about 4,700 illnesses were reported nationally.

The outbreak cast a spotlight on a worsening problem: U.S. regulators are conducting fewer international inspections to catch contaminated produce before it lands on American plates.

The Associated Press contributed reporting and writing.