An outbreak of parasitic illness linked to iceberg lettuce is affecting nine U.S. states, federal health officials have announced. That's up from the five affected states that were identified in earlier stages of the officials' investigation.
This lettuce-related outbreak is one of several in the U.S. that are being caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which can enter the body when someone consumes food or water contaminated with the organism. The federal government has not officially identified a source of contamination in the other Cyclospora outbreaks yet, although some state officials have mentioned potential culprits. (North Carolina officials have pointed to cilantro and parsley, for example.)
