Cyclospora cases and vegetable safety tips

The cyclospora outbreaks in the United States continue to grow, with more than 4,100 people confirmed to have the related gastrointestinal illness since May and four more states added to the large outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania are now part of that nine-state outbreak that includes Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia. The agency said it has resulted in at least 1,947 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, the illness caused by the cyclospora parasite, and 98 hospitalizations. While New York has not been specifically named in any particular outbreak, 666 cases of cyclosporiasis were reported between May 1 and July 20 — including 94 on Long Island — according to the state Health Department. Here is what you need to know about the latest cyclospora outbreaks and whether you should still consume vegetables and fruit. How many outbreaks are there? Are any on Long Island? The CDC said it is "investigating multiple clusters" of cyclospora cases. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration listed three that involve a "not yet identified product" that sickened groups of 72, 18 and 10 people. The agency did not provide a location — so it’s unclear whether any were on Long Island. In all, the CDC has counted 4,173 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis and has reports of another 7,400 cases that "require further investigation and analysis." Many of those additional nonconfirmed cases are from Michigan and Ohio. What about the outbreak involving iceberg lettuce and Taco Bell? The nine-state outbreak has been linked to iceberg lettuce. On July 17, Taylor Farms started a voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce from central Mexico sold in supermarkets and used in restaurants, including Taco Bell. Earlier this week, the FDA said a lab sample it took from Taylor Farms shredded lettuce was positive for cyclospora, only to discover it was a false positive. The agency still maintains there is "overwhelming epidemiological data supporting the current voluntary recall by Taylor Farms." As of July 17, Taco Bell said it was no longer using lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico. So can I eat lettuce? "The lettuce that's been implicated in all of this — the bulk of it appears to be have been consumed several weeks ago," said Donald Schaffner, a professor of food microbiology and chair of the Department of Food Science at Rutgers University in New Jersey. "In my opinion, I think it's unlikely that there's any more contaminated lettuce still on the market." Schaffner said he will continue to have fresh salad for dinner most nights because there is no information that the produce he is eating is potentially risky. "I understand why people are not consuming fresh produce and certainly I don't like to tell people what to do," he said. "I don't think there's any real risk that we need to manage out here by changing our diets. But I would certainly pay attention to the news and see if there are additional products being recalled." Should I wash my lettuce? Yes. It’s a good idea to wash all your vegetables and fruit, said Dr. Sharon Nachman, chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital. Nachman also suggested using a water-vinegar solution — 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar. "We have beautiful lettuce now growing on Long Island, and they're in all the stores, and they're delicious and they're nutritious," she said. "Take them, wash them leaf by leaf. Let them dry." What about eating berries and other fruits and vegetables? "Anything that's not part of the recall is just as safe as it always was," Schaffner said. "This is summertime, and we should be enjoying fresh produce and not worrying too much."