Trump threatens LETTUCE tariffs to control ‘explosive’ parasite outbreak as cases soar
Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs over a major outbreak of the ‘explosive diarrhea’ parasite potentially linked to lettuce from Mexico.
At a press conference at the White House, the President said: ‘I think we’re going to put a big tariff on Mexico for lettuce.’
Trump stepped in as cyclosporiasis cases rose to 11,000 in 41 states, and public health officials scrambled to find out why.
The president also repeated his threat to impose massive tariffs on Canada after wildfires blanketed much of the northern U.S. in toxic smoke.
Health officials have suggested that cases of the parasite, a disease transmitted through food or water contaminated with human feces, may be linked to Taylor Farms shredded iceberg lettuce shipped to Taco Bell restaurants in nine states.
It is suggested that Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania will be affected, as well as Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
Tests on lettuce at Taylor Farms’ production facility in Mexico yielded faulty results, but a voluntary recall of the products is still ongoing.
The business temporarily closed its Central Mexico facility on Thursday.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr claimed on Tuesday that the pandemic was ‘under control’.
The FDA said Wednesday it was tracking another outbreak of the parasite that sickened thousands of people and potentially sickened 72 people in a separate cluster from the one linked to romaine lettuce.
The agency disclosed the number of cases but did not provide further details, including the location of the patients or the potential source of their illnesses.
The announcement of a new cyclosporiasis outbreak indicates that the agency has identified a cluster of cases associated with a common source.
This does not mean that the cases are unrelated to the main outbreak, but they may be listed separately because they are believed to be caused by a separate contaminant.
Health officials now advise people to wash their hands and ‘fresh produce’ thoroughly before preparing food.
Since washing is not guaranteed to eliminate the parasite, it is also recommended to cook food at a temperature of at least 70°C to kill the parasite.
Cyclosporiasis is spread when people eat food or drink water contaminated with human feces.
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No updates were given regarding Taco Bell’s potential role in the outbreak, as the fast food chain’s lettuce supplier is Taylor Farms.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), direct person-to-person spread is ‘unlikely’ because it takes one to two weeks for the parasite to become contagious once it is in the environment.
Infectious diseases specialist at UTHealth Houston, Dr. Luis Ostrosky said: ‘Cyclosporiasis is spread via the fecal-oral route, where fecal particles containing the parasite are passed into the mouth.
‘It is generally not transmitted from person to person and does not spread in the way we see with norovirus or flu.
‘It takes one to two weeks for the parasite to become infectious after being passed through a bowel movement, and symptoms appear several days to several weeks after exposure.’
Overall, the CDC has recorded nearly 11,000 cases of suspected or confirmed infection this year; this was the highest number since 2019, when there was an outbreak linked to basil.
It has confirmed 4,100 cases of infection and is investigating 7,400 cases in 41 states. Additionally, 308 people were hospitalized but no deaths were reported.
Michigan has recorded the most cases with up to 2,100 cases, followed by Illinois, Kentucky and Texas with up to 160 cases.
The addition of four more states to the tally in the larger outbreak indicates that the agency is beginning to link cases across states, allowing them to focus on a potential source.
Caused by the microscopic parasite cyclospora, it is a gastrointestinal disease that causes symptoms such as watery and explosive diarrhea, cramps, and fever.
Patients become ill within a week of infection, which can make identifying the source difficult.
People suffering from the parasite may feel like they are getting better before the symptoms suddenly worsen again.
A spokesman for Taylor Farms said on Thursday: ‘We have appointed independent experts to conduct a complete review of food safety processes and protocols at our facility in Mexico.
‘We continue to work with health authorities, customers and independent farming partners to resolve this issue.’
Taco Bell removed lettuce from its supply chain.
A spokesman said last week: ‘Taco Bell has taken injunctive action and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers and food service operators to do the same.’
