White House denies CDC cuts affected parasite outbreak
White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said the CDC and FDA “have the necessary resources” to combat outbreaks of diarrhea-causing parasites.
Lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants has been linked to an outbreak of the stomach-wrenching parasitic infection, federal health officials say, as thousands of people across the country contract cysticercosis.
This gastrointestinal disease, which can cause frequent watery diarrhea or explosive bowel movements, nausea, cramping, bloating and low-grade fever, affects people in 34 states.
At least 102 people have been hospitalized in Michigan since June 22, with 4,312 cases reported statewide, the state health department announced Thursday.
White House press secretary Caroline Levitt said Thursday that “the White House is closely monitoring the situation.”
Asked whether public health cuts had slowed the response to the outbreak in any way, Levitt said, “Absolutely not,” adding that the FDA and CDC have “the resources necessary to ensure that the American public is well-informed and protected from this disease during this time.” Experts say otherwise.
Is iceberg lettuce linked to the spread of infection?
An investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration and state health officials found that shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell stores in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia was linked to the outbreak.
The FDA’s follow-up investigation has identified a single supplier of the Mexican iceberg lettuce used in these Taco Bell locations, the agency announced late Thursday, July 16.
Health officials have not disclosed Taco Bell’s suppliers. USA TODAY has reached out to HHS, CDC, and FDA for comment.
Is a stool test required for diagnosis?
The CDC advises anyone who believes they may be infected to see a doctor for testing and treatment.
“Doctors won’t know how to treat it unless you get a positive stool test, especially a gastrointestinal pathogen test. Without a test, it could be considered bacterial or viral diarrhea,” Dr. Anil Sharma, an associate professor in the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at the University of Florida College of Medicine, previously told USA TODAY.
Craig Hedberg, a professor in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences, explained in a media briefing Thursday that most Cyclospora cases are diagnosed through culture-independent diagnostic tests. The test is a PCR-based panel that can screen for approximately 20 different pathogens simultaneously.
“These panels are much more widely used today than they were 10 years ago, so our ability to detect these infections at the clinical level is much better than before,” he added.
Contributed by Mike Snider and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY
