Ex-FDA Chief Links U.S. Cyclosporiasis Outbreak to Mexican Cilantro, Parsley

Scott Gottlieb, former director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has pointed to Mexican cilantro and parsley as potential sources of the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak affecting the United States. He warned that producers and retailers have ceased sourcing agricultural products from a central Mexican region linked to the bacteria responsible for severe diarrhea.

Gottlieb told CNBC that several outbreak clusters, including those in the Great Lakes region, New York, and North Carolina, appear connected to parsley and cilantro possibly originating from central Mexico. However, investigators have not yet pinpointed the exact source. Initial suspicions had focused on iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms in Guanajuato, which supplies Taco Bell, but tests on that lettuce did not detect the cyclospora bacteria.

The outbreak has led to over 4,000 confirmed cases and more than 7,000 suspected cases in the U.S. Gottlieb suggested a contamination incident may have affected multiple fields in central Mexico. Potential causes include untreated wastewater reaching growing areas via irrigation, flooding, overflow from portable toilets used by farmworkers, or a ruptured drainage channel. Investigations into the precise origin are ongoing.

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Something happened in central Mexico. We don't know what yet.

In response to the potential link, some larger producers and retailers have stopped purchasing agricultural products from the affected Mexican region, fearing association with the outbreak. Much of this product is being removed from supply chains, which should mitigate some of the current risk, Gottlieb stated.

Cyclospora causes an intestinal infection primarily characterized by intense and frequent diarrhea, along with loss of appetite and weight, abdominal bloating, nausea, fatigue, low-grade fever, and vomiting. It is typically associated with consuming contaminated fruits or vegetables and is not usually transmitted person-to-person.

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Much of that product is being withdrawn from supply chains, so that should mitigate some of the current risk.