It's rare for cyclosporiasis to cause death. Health officials said the two people had 'significant underlying health conditions.'
The U.S. is grappling with its largest-ever cyclospora outbreak, possibly caused by contaminated lettuce.
Health officials in Michigan have linked the deaths of two people with "significant underlying health conditions" to cyclosporiasis - making them the first deaths associated with the largest-ever cyclospora outbreak in the U.S.
On Monday, Michigan's health department disclosed the deaths, saying both people had conditions "that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it's aware of the two cyclosporiasis-related deaths.
Michigan has been the center of the outbreak, reporting more than 11,000 cases and being the first to detect a link between the cyclosporiasis cases and people who had eaten shredded lettuce at Taco Bell restaurants. Taco Bell, which is owned by Yum Brands (YUM), later pulled lettuce from its menu in certain regions, while Taylor Farms, a major farming company, recalled iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico, including produce sold to restaurants and retailers like Walmart $(WMT)$.
Yum Brands shares were down 2.6% in Monday trading.
Cyclospora is a parasite that contaminates leafy greens, berries and herbs. When people eat produce that's contaminated with cyclospora, it leads to a severe gastrointestinal illness called cyclosporiasis, which is characterized by watery diarrhea and cramping. Patients have to take antibiotics to resolve their infections.
The outbreak has now spread to nine U.S. states, with 1,947 confirmed cases and 98 hospitalizations as of July 28, the most recent update from the CDC. The agency is investigating at least 11,500 other suspected cases as well as other unrelated cyclospora outbreaks happening at the same time in the U.S.
Health officials still haven't confirmed the source of the outbreak, further complicating communication about what produce is safe for Americans to eat. Some experts believe this outbreak could extend past August given its complexity and scale.
-Jaimy Lee