LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) announced that federal health officials have added Nebraska to the list of states with cases that are part of the national multistate outbreak of the Cyclospora illness.
Officials with LLCHD say they are still working to determine how many local cases stemmed from the outbreak.
“We’re working with state and federal partners to determine how many of our local cases are included in this outbreak,” said Kerry Kernen, Health Director. “We conducted in-depth interviews with residents who became ill and looked for potential commonalities among cases. Information gathered in our investigations showed a correlation with the shredded iceberg lettuce.”
The most probable cause as of now is the iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, which is now recalled.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 92 Nebraska cases are linked to the outbreak.
The earliest confirmed case linked to the outbreak is June 22, with the latest being July 31. According to LLCHD, it is possible there may be more cases to come in Lancaster County.
The Cyclospora illness causes watery diarrhea that can last weeks to months, fatigue, weight loss and many more symptoms.
Tags: CDC, Cyclospora, Cyclospora illness, Cyclospora investigation, cyclospora outbreak, Cyclosporiasis, diarrhea, iceberg lettuce, Kerry Hernen, lettuce illness, Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, llchd, multistate outbreak