Missouri reports 216 cyclospora cases, a fivefold jump in one week

Missouri reported 216 cyclospora cases as the outbreak accelerated, a fivefold jump in one week, according to state health officials. The Missouri Department of Health and Human Services said that as of Sunday there were 216 reported infections, up from 43 a week earlier. Cyclospora, a parasite that causes diarrhea, nausea and dehydration, has sickened thousands nationally. Illinois confirmed 240 cases on Wednesday. Federal officials linked the outbreak to lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, and an Associated Press report cited that Taylor Farms supplied the lettuce. Taylor Farms recalled iceberg lettuce shipped to 27 states on Saturday, including Missouri and Illinois, and the company also faces a separate lawsuit tied to an E. coli cluster in November 2024 that it denies.