Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs over a major outbreak of an ‘explosive diarrhea’ parasite potentially linked to lettuce from Mexico.
In a press briefing at the White House, the President said: ‘I think what we are going to do is put a major tariff on Mexico because of the lettuce.’
Trump weighed in as cases of cyclosporiasis soared to 11,000 across 41 states, leaving public health officials scrambling to find the cause.
The President also reiterated his threat to put major tariffs on Canada after wildfires left much of the northern US covered in toxic smoke.
Health officials have suggested that cases of the parasite, a disease transmitted by food or water contaminated with human feces, may be linked to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms that was sent to Taco Bell restaurants in nine states.
Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania are also now suggested to be affected, alongside Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
Tests on lettuce from Taylor Farms’ manufacturing facility in Mexico have returned a false positive, however, a voluntary recall of the products is still in place.
The business temporarily closed its Central Mexico site on Thursday.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr claimed on Tuesday that the outbreak was ‘under control.’
The FDA said Wednesday it was tracking another outbreak of the parasite that has sickened 72 people, in a separate cluster from the one sickening thousands and potentially linked to lettuce.
The agency revealed the number of cases but gave no further details, including the location of the patients or the potential source of their sickness.
The announcement of a new outbreak of cyclosporiasis suggests that the agency has identified a cluster of cases that are related to a common source.
It does not mean that the cases are unrelated to the main outbreak, but they may have been listed separately as they are believed to have been caused by a separate contaminated item.
Health officials are now recommending people wash their hands and ‘any fresh produce’ thoroughly before preparing food.
As washing is not guaranteed to remove the parasite, they are also advising cooking food to a temperature of at least 158F (70C) to kill the parasite.
Cyclosporiasis spreads when people eat food or drink water that has been contaminated with human feces.
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No update was given for Taco Bell’s potential role in the outbreak, as the fast food chain’s lettuce supplier is Taylor Farms
It is ‘unlikely’ to spread directly from person to person, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), because it takes one to two weeks for the parasite to become infectious after passing into the environment.
Dr Luis Ostrosky, an infectious diseases expert at UTHealth Houston, said: ‘Cyclosporiasis spreads via the fecal-oral route, where fecal particles containing the parasite are passed to the mouth.
‘It typically does not transmit from person to person and does not spread in the way that we see with norovirus or the flu.
‘It takes one to two weeks after the parasite is passed in a bowel movement for it to become infectious, and many days to a few weeks after that exposure for symptoms to appear.’
Overall, the CDC has recorded nearly 11,000 suspected or confirmed cases of the infection this year, the most since 2019, when there was an outbreak linked to basil.
It has confirmed 4,100 cases of the infection and is investigating 7,400 others across 41 states. There have also been 308 hospitalizations, but no deaths have been reported.
Michigan is recording the most cases, at up to 2,100, followed by Illinois, Kentucky and Texas, all recording up to 160 cases.
In the major outbreak, the addition of four more states to the tally suggests the agency is beginning to connect cases in states, allowing them to home in on a potential source.
Caused by the microscopic parasite cyclospora, it is a gastrointestinal illness causing symptoms including watery and explosive diarrhea, cramping and a fever.
Patients become sick within a week of infection, which can make it difficult to identify the source.
Individuals suffering from the parasite may also feel they are getting better before symptoms suddenly become much worse again.
A spokesman for Taylor Farms said on Thursday: ‘We’ve commissioned independent experts to conduct a top-to-bottom review of food safety processes and protocols in our central Mexico facility.
‘We continue to work with health authorities, customers, and independent farming partners to address this issue.’
Taco Bell has removed the lettuce from its supply chain.
A spokesman said last week: ‘Taco Bell has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same.’