AIBRIEF
Michigan confirmed two Cyclospora deaths tied to recalled bagged lettuce, but the FDA's outbreak page still shows a July 24 last updated stamp.
Two people in Michigan have died from cyclosporiasis during an outbreak tied to recalled shredded iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico, the state health department confirmed Monday. Both had significant underlying health conditions and fell ill before Taylor Farms issued its recall.
The FDA's outbreak investigation page was last updated on July 24, nearly two weeks before the deaths became public. The CDC's outbreak page now carries a banner saying the agency is "aware" of the two Michigan deaths, but its case count and death totals have not been updated to reflect them.
HHS Press Secretary Emily Hilliard confirmed the deaths to Ars Technica and said "FDA and CDC plan to update overall illness numbers, hospitalizations, and deaths this week."
Missouri cases nearly doubled in a week, from 593 to 1,095 between July 26 and August 2, per the Kansas City Star, and the CDC has confirmed 6,707 domestic cases since May with roughly 11,500 more pending.
Marler Blog notes the asymmetry: the FDA published traceback diagrams for 474 E. coli illnesses, but none for the 22,683 Cyclospora illnesses on its books.