Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Foodborne Outbreak topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Health officer: multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce; no local outbreak identified
Summary
Dr. Alan Melnick told the board that about 1,600 cases across 34 states have been linked to a supplier of shredded iceberg lettuce; recalled products were not distributed in Washington or Oregon and Clark County has not identified a local outbreak.
Dr. Alan Melnick, Clark County public health director and health officer, briefed the board on a multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak during the director's report. He said the CDC and FDA have linked about 1,600 cases across 34 states to a supplier of shredded iceberg lettuce and that the supplier (Taylor Farms) issued a recall for the product. He noted that the recalled product was not distributed in Washington or Oregon and that Clark County has not identified a local outbreak.
"So far, the last I checked recently, there have been about 1,600 cases linked to the outbreak with, according to the CDC, the last number I saw was about 141 hospitalizations," Melnick said. He added Washington state has recorded 38 cases since May 1 and said most state cases have been associated with international travel rather than local distribution. Melnick advised residents to wash fresh fruits and vegetables and said public health investigators use case interviews and analytic epidemiology to confirm sources when possible.
Melnick described the incubation period (two days to two weeks) and the challenges investigators face when exposures occurred up to two weeks earlier. No new local interventions were announced beyond routine surveillance and public guidance; boardmembers asked a few clarifying questions about berries and food sourcing.
