MI Lifts Lettuce, Salad Mixes Warning Tied To Cyclosporiasis Outbreak

Michigan health officials on Thursday lifted their warnings on eating lettuce and other salad mixes tied to a cyclosporiasis outbreak, which has sickened more than 12,000 people across the state since June.

Health officials said that new cyclosporiasis case reports are slowing, including a downward trend in diarrhea-related emergency room visits.

There have been 12,485 cyclosporiasis cases across Michigan since the outbreak began, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

At least 279 of those cases required hospitalization, including two deaths, according to health officials.

The majority of cases were found in southeastern Michigan, with more than 1,000 confirmed cases in both Oakland and Wayne County alone.

Most exposures occurred in late June to early July, health officials said.

"Since the start of this outbreak, MDHHS has remained committed to providing timely, transparent information and clear recommendations to Michigan residents," Michigan Chief Medical Executive Natasha Bagdasarian said. "As new data has emerged, our guidance has evolved to reflect the best available evidence, helping ensure that prevention recommendations are accurate, actionable and responsive to the changing situation."

Officials suspected bagged lettuce and other salad mixes as the cause of the outbreak, but never identified a source. They now believe the majority of the contaminated produce is likely no longer available for consumption.

The FDA initially targeted lettuce served at multiple Taco Bell locations across five states, including Michigan. That supplier, Taylor Farms, voluntarily recalled some of its products as Taco Bell quickly stopped selling lettuce at select locations.

The FDA later said there was a mistake during testing and could not definitely label the lettuce as the cause of the outbreak.

The FDA's admission did not affect the recall and Michigan health officials still recommend avoiding the recalled lettuce.

CDC health officials have confirmed more than 6,000 cyclosporiasis cases with another 11,000 probable cases across 45 states since May.

On average, health officials said the entire U.S. typically sees about 3,000 cyclosporiasis cases a year.