Despite the fact that more people have been hospitalized, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday residents can resume routine guidance for consuming lettuce and salad greens as new cyclosporaisis case reports and related emergency department visits are on the decline.
The updated guidance came on the same day total cases in Michigan jumped from 12,218 to 12,485. The number of people who had been hospitalized increased from 193 to 279. 2 deaths have been attributed to the outbreak, however they had "significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration," according to the Health Department.
“Since the start of this outbreak, MDHHS has remained committed to providing timely, transparent information and clear recommendations to Michigan residents,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive, in a statement. “As new data has emerged, our guidance has evolved to reflect the best available evidence, helping ensure that prevention recommendations are accurate, actionable and responsive to the changing situation.”
Data now suggests that new cyclosporiasis case reports are slowing, including a downward trend in diarrhea-related emergency department visits, according to the Health Department statement.
Those exposed to cyclosporiasis start to feel sick seven days after exposure, but symptoms can take up to 14 days to appear. Given the seven-day average incubation period, the data suggests that:
--Most exposures occurred in late June to early July.
--The majority of the contaminated produce is likely no longer available for consumption.
Based on the updates, MDHHS is making the following changes:
--A return to routine guidance for handling produce, including lettuce and salad greens.
--The broad, precautionary recommendation to avoid bagged salad mixes during the Cyclospora outbreak is no longer in effect. Residents may resume their usual food handling practices and make choices based on their individual risk tolerance.
--Reporting all outbreak data on a weekly basis on Thursdays.
--People should still avoid lettuce that has been recalled.
The age groups most affected by the outbreak range from 30 to 39 and 40-49.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked Taylor Farms’ iceberg lettuce to the outbreak and some lettuce has been recalled.
