Michigan health officials identify 'potential source' of parasite outbreak pointing to salad greens and lettuce

[ImNotGod]

State health officials in Michigan said on Monday they have identified lettuces and salad greens as a “potential source” of the thousands of cases of cyclosporiasis – a parasitic infection that causes “watery diarrhea”, loss of appetite and weight loss.

In a statement, the Michigan department of health and human services said the investigation is still continuing, but early results “point to lettuce or salad greens as a potential source for this outbreak”, though officials also cautioned it is too early to rule out other food sources.

“No specific type of produce, grower, or supplier has been identified as the source,” the statement reads.

The outbreak of more than 2,800 cases comes a year after the Trump administration cut funding to state and local health departments and reduced the remit of a program dedicated to coordinating information on foodborne illness, including of cyclospora.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/13/cyclospora-outbreak-parasite-explosive-diarrhea

I rarely eat out but I do love getting tacos out. I don't dare to do that anymore until they find a direct source and even that might not be enough, that bug is nasty.

[Sogo]

1. It's often lettuce and, more specifically, Romaine lettuce.

nt.

[ImNotGod]

2. It's best to not buy any packaged lettuce and to remove 2 layers of lettuce you do buy and rinse good with water. nt

[SamuelTheThird]

3. Feel like I should stick to frozen vegetables as long as this misadministration is in power

[31j20b3]

13. Bulk processed salad components are a lurking hazard in the food supply

Hundreds of pounds washed in bulk, run through shredders, and generally very well mixed together.

One contaminated head of lettuce can have it's viruses, bacteria, or parasites mixed onto hundreds of bags of prepped salad.

If the problem is at the processing plant, faulty water jets that recycle water is another path to contaminate huge amounts of raw produce.

The Hazard Control Points a very well known to infectious disease investigators, Once they get a handle on the facility with the problem it will quickly be resolved.

The answer seems to be beginning to emerge. The problem is going to be the Trump administration's pro-business orientation. They won't want the facility involved to be named. They won't want the brand labels under which it was packaged named. They treat that like it's HIPPA data, no one gets to know but the facility and the gov't. That desire not to give a black eye to a business goes back at least to the Clinton administration when I was working food and waterborne illnesses for the state of WI.

Typically in foodborne epidemics, the final press release on the sources of contamination comes on late Friday afternoon, about 5:30 Eastern.. too late to make the early evening news it gives the industry pretty much an entire weekend to gin up stories about their innocence.

[young_at_heart]

4. 2,800 cases comes a year after the Trump administration cut funding

Why on earth would Trump cut funding for something so important....especially for young children and the elderly?

[Mossfern]

7. Why, you ask?

To fund his "beautifying" projects and installations of gigantic banners of his likeness on government buildings.....
That's why.

[young_at_heart]

8. Don't forget "The Ballroom"!

Wouldn't it be nice if Republicans cared about any of this?

[multigraincracker]

5. Just glad I haven't had tacos in the last week or so.

[progressoid]

6. Time for Trump to blame this on a lab in China.

[DET]

9. Why salad greens?

Especially romaine?

[BannonsLiver]

11. Because they're grown in the ground.

Animals and people shit and piss on them.

[Wednesdays]

12. So are potatoes, carrots, and peanuts, as are a whole host of other salad greens.

Are they included in the danger list?

[BannonsLiver]

14. Well I'll let you take it from here since you're so upset about the answer.

I’m not that invested either way. Hope your day gets better though.

[multigraincracker]

10. New double meaning to TACO president.