Cyclospora Outbreak: 7,000 Sick and the Surveillance System That Went Dark | Episode 177

🍽️ Francine and Matt are building a global, fun, and inclusive Food Safety Family! From the C-suite to the kitchen, they’re making safe food the norm everywhere.👉 Follow Francine and Matt on LinkedIn for more food safety insights and updates.Nearly 7,000 people are sick, the CDC's own case count can't keep up with what individual states are finding on their own, and six months ago the agency quietly stopped requiring labs to track Cyclospora at all. In this episode of Don’t Eat Poop!, our hosts Matt and Francine break down how an outbreak this size is unfolding in near-total darkness. This episode covers what Cyclospora actually does to the body, where the current outbreak started, and the funding cuts that gutted the surveillance system meant to catch it. When you stop counting the sick, the numbers go down, but the problem doesn't.In this episode:00:00:00 The Educated Food Safety Guess That Turned Out to Be True00:04:46 A Food Safety Project Three Years in the Making00:08:04 Tracking the Cyclospora Outbreak00:12:27 What Is Cyclospora? Symptoms, Transmission, and Sources00:17:53 1,645 Confirmed Cyclospora Cases and Nearly 7,000 Suspected00:19:03 Suspected Sources and the Taco Bell Connection00:23:49 CDC Funding Cuts and the FoodNet Tracking Rollback00:28:28 How a Systemic Contamination Event Actually Happens00:35:29 The Supplier is Confirmed — It's Taylor Farms00:47:02 Taco Bell's Statement and IFPA's Pushback on the Produce LinkDisclaimer: Episode title and content do not constitute legal or health advice.Resources from this episodeHave a look at the articles mentioned in this episode:Two Friends Warn About Cyclospora. In the Morning I’ll Carry the Same Message to Puerto Vallarta: We Stopped Counting the Sick and Holding those to AccountCyclospora by State: Three Different Counts — the CDC’s, the State’s, and the Media’sCDC, FDA link Taco Bell lettuce supplier to multistate cyclosporiasis outbreakThe Cyclospora Outbreak Now Has Two Names on It — Taylor Farms and Taco Bell. Both Have Been Here Before and So Have IParasitic Outbreak Linked to Taylor Farms Lettuce Supplied to Taco BellNoteworthy quotes from this episode“When you have 7,000 potential cases, it is a systemic problem.” – Matt Regusci“Of course the numbers are gonna decline. They're not counting them.” – Francine L ShawWe hope you enjoy this episode!Remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Together, we can raise awareness and make a positive impact in the world of food safety!Share your thoughts and feedback on the show, and feel free to offer any topics you would like to hear discussed.We'd love to hear from you!📲 Connect with Francine, Matt, and the "Don't Eat Poop!" show on LinkedIn!📕 Check out Francine's book Who Watches the Kitchen?🎙️ BE A GUEST ON DON’T EAT POOP!Fill out this form to tell us more about yourself. We’ll reach out via email within 30 days with next steps if you’re selected._______Produced by Ideablossoms_______