U.S. health agency now says cyclospora finding at produce company was false positive

FDA had said lettuce from Taylor Farms tested positive for parasite behind outbreak

The exterior of a factory is pictured. — The Taylor Farms sign is displayed at one of its facilities in Salinas, Calif., on Friday. (Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on ‌Sunday that laboratory experts re-reviewed sample results in the Taylor Farms cyclospora investigation and concluded the finding should be considered ⁠a ⁠false ‌positive.

As of Sunday, there were no ⁠confirmed positive sample results for cyclospora, the FDA ‌added.

The FDA on Saturday had said that a sample of shredded iceberg ⁠lettuce supplied by Taylor ⁠Farms has ⁠tested ⁠positive for the parasitic illness that has sickened ⁠thousands of people in the U.S.

The FDA, in its latest update said it has “notified Taylor Farms and continues working ⁠with the firm to ensure product implicated in this outbreak has been removed from the market.”

Taylor Farms had ‌earlier confirmed that the product was not part of its current recall, according to the FDA.

What is cyclospora? A diarrhea-causing parasite

A diarrhea-causing parasite has led to a growing outbreak in the United States that has sickened more than 1,000 people and sent dozens to hospital. As of Wednesday, multiple states had reported cyclospora infections, which can cause watery diarrhea, bloating, fever and nausea. While cases are common in the spring and summer, the current outbreak has led to an unusually high number, making it one of the largest the country has seen. No deaths have been reported.

Taylor Farms was not immediately available for comment.

Cyclosporiasis, which has been linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Yum ⁠Brands Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio ⁠and West Virginia has so far resulted in around ⁠100 ⁠hospitalizations and no deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The lettuce, which ⁠the FDA said late on Thursday came from Mexico, was produced as five-pound (2.3 kilogram) bags at Taylor Farms’ facility in Guanajuato, Mexico, a source told Reuters. — Thomson Reuters