The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States regulatory body, announced on Friday (2) that it detected the Cyclospora parasite in a lettuce plantation located in Mexico. This finding points to the origin of an outbreak that resulted in nearly 13 thousand cases of infection in the United States.
The parasite in question causes cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal condition characterized by severe watery diarrhea, very frequent bowel movements, and, in some situations, described as 'explosive' by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This outbreak, whose investigation began in June and was declared closed by American authorities in September, represents the largest record of foodborne illness in the country.
Inspection occurred after more than seven years
According to the FDA, inspectors located the parasite in two locations within a property linked to Taylor Farms, situated in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico: a wastewater reservoir and a drainage canal used in the lettuce cultivation area.
Despite these results confirming the connection between the farm and the outbreak, the agency stated that it has not yet determined the exact mechanism by which the parasite contaminated the food.
The investigation was finalized after the discovery of the parasite. Identifying the infectious agent took more than six weeks after a team of FDA investigators arrived at the Mexican property.
According to the Associated Press, this was the first inspection conducted by the agency at that location in over seven years, amid a decline in international food safety inspections following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The FDA believes that the data obtained from the analyses, when combined with epidemiological information, provides solid proof that the Taylor Farms unit is involved in the outbreak. However, researchers have not yet established how the contamination occurred or how the parasite spread in sufficient quantity in the food to cause thousands of infections.
In August, Mexican authorities had reported that their own analyses had not found the parasite in either the lettuce or the water in the facilities. At the same time, the FDA had to correct a laboratory report that had incorrectly identified the presence of Cyclospora in a sample of lettuce from Taylor Farms collected at the border.
What the company says
In an official statement, Taylor Farms informed that the contamination identified by the FDA is associated with an independent supplier that is no longer part of its supply network. The company also announced that its facilities in central Mexico will remain closed while new food safety measures are implemented.
Taylor Farms added that the new procedures are being developed in collaboration with its research team and cover all phases of production, from cultivation to food processing.
What is cyclosporiasis
Cyclosporiasis is an infection caused by the protozoan Cyclospora cayetanensis, a microscopic parasite that attacks the intestines after ingesting contaminated water or food. The CDC points out that the primary symptom is intense watery diarrhea, which can lead to frequent and occasionally explosive bowel movements.
Other possible symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, abdominal cramps, nausea, fatigue, and malaise. Generally, the disease is treated with antibiotics and is rarely fatal. However, without treatment, symptoms can persist for weeks or months, alternating between periods of improvement and worsening.
The parasite is excreted in human feces and can contaminate food through contact with contaminated water. Although the FDA found the microorganism in wastewater and in a drainage canal on the Mexican property, the agency has not yet clarified how it reached the lettuce related to the outbreak.