Illinois has been added to a multi-state outbreak of Cyclospora infections linked to recalled iceberg lettuce, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC said Friday that the outbreak has grown to include 1,947 confirmed cases across nine states, including Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania, which were added in the latest update. Health officials are investigating illnesses connected to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, which the CDC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration said was contaminated with Cyclospora.
In Illinois, health officials have reported 513 confirmed and probable Cyclospora cases as of Wednesday. Of those cases, 156 people reported traveling outside the United States, 291 cases were considered domestically acquired, and 66 cases have an unknown travel history.
The state has reported 39 hospitalizations and no deaths linked to the illness.
The four new states added to the outbreak join Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Michigan as health officials continue to connect the dots on what exactly is the cause. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration said shredded iceberg lettuce sourced from Taylor Farms de Mexico is likely to blame.
"We know it went to many states, to many points of sale," Kari Irvin, deputy director of FDA's Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation Network, told NBC.
The company has since recalled its Marketside-brand products, which were sold at select Walmart stores. The FDA is watching the progression of case counts closely "because it will help tell us if the recall is enough, that they've recovered all products that need to be removed from the market," Irvin told NBC.
The outbreak has also been linked to people who reported eating at Taco Bell, according to the CDC. Illnesses began June 22 and have continued through July 20, with at least 98 hospitalizations reported and no deaths.
Cyclospora is a parasite that causes an intestinal illness known as cyclosporiasis. Symptoms can include prolonged diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue.
The CDC said consumers should not eat recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico and should throw it away or return it.
Health officials are continuing interviews with people about foods they ate before becoming ill. The CDC said the true number of cases may be higher because some people recover without medical care or are not tested for Cyclospora.
The agency said it can take up to six weeks to determine whether a reported illness is part of an outbreak.
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