Hamilton County's cyclospora case count jumped to 23 as of July 23, up from 17 the prior week, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is sending disease investigators to Ohio to trace a multi-state outbreak tied to recalled lettuce, according to a CDC spokesperson quoted by WLWT on Thursday.
The CDC is deploying Epidemic Intelligence Service officers to Ohio for approximately three weeks. Ohio has the second-highest case count in the country behind Michigan, with the Ohio Department of Health reporting 2,650 cases statewide since May 1, according to WLWT's Thursday report. That figure doubled in a single week from 1,320 the previous Thursday.
The Ohio Department of Health requested federal assistance through an Epi-Aid, a formal CDC resource for state outbreak investigations.
What the investigators will do
CDC disease detectives will interview people who tested positive for cyclospora, collect exposure histories, analyze data to identify common food sources and locations, and coordinate multi-state outbreak tracing, according to the CDC.
The Taylor Farms recall
The CDC and FDA continue to focus on shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico as the outbreak source. Taylor Farms initiated a voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico on July 17. That recall remains in effect.
Taco Bell recalled Taylor Farms lettuce served at its restaurants. Taylor Farms also produces lettuce for Kroger, according to WLWT. The recall covers all Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce distributed in Ohio. Both Taco Bell and Kroger operate locations along the Princeton Pike corridor, including Taco Bell restaurants in Sharonville and a Kroger on Springfield Pike in Woodlawn.
The FDA on July 20, announced a false positive test result on a lettuce sample that was not part of the recall. The FDA also disputed Taylor Farms' claim that the agency had "apologized" for the error.
Local trajectory
Hamilton County's case count has accelerated sharply: five cases as of July 2, 13 by approximately July 16, 17 the following week, and 23 as of July 23, according to the Ohio Department of Health dashboard.
Nationally, the CDC reported 4,173 domestically acquired cyclospora cases and 308 hospitalizations since May 1, as of July 20. No deaths have been reported nationwide.
Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, Ohio Department of Health director, called cyclosporiasis "a serious illness that can cause dehydration and require people to seek emergency medical care" in a July 8 statement.
What residents should know
Cyclospora symptoms include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating, nausea, and fatigue. Symptoms typically begin about one week after exposure and can last weeks without treatment, according to the CDC.
The illness is treated with the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, sold under brand names Bactrim, Septra, or Cotrim. Routine stool tests do not always screen for the parasite, so patients may need to request testing specifically.
The parasite is not spread person to person. Cooking produce to at least 158°F kills it; washing alone does not guarantee removal.
Residents can track Hamilton County case counts on the Ohio Department of Health infectious disease dashboard at data.ohio.gov. To report illness, contact the Ohio Department of Health at 614-644-8562.
