Oakland County remains one of the five hardest-hit counties in Michigan's record-breaking cyclosporiasis outbreak, which reached 8,176 confirmed cases statewide as of Sunday, July 26, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
The case count jumped from 5,002 reported Friday, July 18. Hospitalizations climbed to 160, up from 102 reported Friday, July 17.
Wayne, Washtenaw, Oakland, Ingham and Shiawassee counties have the highest case totals, MDHHS reported. As of July 17, Oakland County had logged 396 confirmed infections, the third-highest county total in the state at that time, according to MDHHS data reported by the Detroit News. An updated county-level breakdown has not yet been released, and given the statewide surge since then, the county's current total is likely significantly higher.
Recall targets iceberg lettuce
Taylor Farms de Mexico issued a voluntary recall on Friday, July 17, pulling all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market due to potential Cyclospora contamination. The FDA published the recall notice the following day.
The recalled lettuce was distributed June 29 through July 16 to 27 states, including Michigan, primarily through food service channels such as restaurants. Two consumer retail products sold at Walmart under the Marketside brand were also recalled, but those were not distributed to Michigan stores.
Taylor Fresh Foods said Friday, July 24, that it had suspended all iceberg lettuce sourcing and production from central Mexico for the remainder of the growing season.
The FDA advised consumers on its investigation page, updated Friday, July 24: do not eat recalled iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico. While the recall targets iceberg lettuce from central Mexico, the broader state investigation as of Saturday, July 25, has not ruled out other produce or identified a specific grower beyond Taylor Farms.
Guidance for Oakland County residents
MDHHS spokesperson Lynn Sutfin has recommended that Michigan residents purchase whole heads of lettuce instead of pre-washed, bagged lettuce or pre-mixed salad kits while the investigation continues.
Michigan's chief medical executive, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, said in mid-July that after conducting more than 1,000 patient interviews, "early information has shown lettuce as a common product that regularly comes up during the investigation."
Cyclosporiasis is caused by the Cyclospora parasite, spread through contaminated food or water. Symptoms can appear two days to two weeks after exposure and include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, cramping, bloating, nausea and fatigue.
The outbreak spans nine states: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Michigan remains the hardest-hit state in the nation. Two Michigan couples filed separate federal lawsuits the week of July 21 against Taco Bell and Taylor Farms, alleging infected lettuce made them sick.
How to report symptoms
Residents who believe they may have been exposed can contact the Oakland County Health Division or their primary care provider. Consumers with questions about the Taylor Farms recall can call the company at 855-455-0098, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time. MDHHS posts daily case updates at michigan.gov/mdhhs.
