The Cyclospora Outbreak, By the Numbers

The explosive diarrhea outbreak that sickened thousands of people in the U.S. this summer has ended, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Friday.The outbreak marked the largest of cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness caused by a parasite known as Cyclospora cayetanensis, in the country’s known history. People become infected by the parasite by consuming contaminated food or water; in the U.S., outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have often been tied to fresh produce. While some people may not experience any symptoms, others who become infected by the parasite may report “explosive” bowel movements. In July, federal public health officials announced that they were investigating an outbreak of these infections in several states, eventually linking the cases to contaminated processed iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico. On July 17, the company recalled all of its iceberg lettuce products that were sourced from central Mexico, which it said it did “out of an abundance of caution.”The CDC said on Friday that the number of recent cyclosporiasis cases tied to this summer’s outbreak “has significantly declined.” At the height of the outbreak, before the T...