LETTUCE LINKED TO DIARRHEA OUTBREAK IN MIDWEST

An outbreak of diarrhea caused by the parasite cyclospora has risen to more than 3,000 cases in Michigan and Ohio, and the ongoing investigation suggests lettuce or salad greens may be the source. However, Michigan health officials said other foods can’t be ruled out and no specific type, grower or supplier has been identified as the source. “Early information has shown lettuce as a common product that regularly comes up during the investigation,” Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive, said in a statement. The state said its investigation is ongoing. Michigan reported 2,640 cases as of Monday morning, including 44 hospitalizations. As of July 10, 31 states have reported cases to the CDC, although it’s not clear whether they’re all part of the same outbreak. It’s difficult for investigators to pin down the source of the outbreak. Cyclosporiasis cases are slow to be counted and may require patients to recall what they ate weeks ago. Correspondent Michael Yoshida has the latest in a 3:30pET PKG with FREE custom tags from Washington.