As of Sunday, Missouri has confirmed 593 cases of cyclosporiasis, a nearly 63% increase from the previous week, according to updated figures from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
State health officials have repeatedly said they expect the case count to continue rising as additional illnesses are identified.
State Epidemiologist Nathan Koffarnus said about 10% of Missouri patients with cyclosporiasis have been hospitalized. Cases have been reported across the state, and investigators are continuing to search for the source of the outbreak.
"We're certainly looking for clusters and working with environmental partners," Koffarnus said. "We know some of the recalled products made their way to Missouri. It's right there on the FDA's recall list. So it's definitely possible we have exposures related to that."
Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week that cyclospora infections have been reported in nine states. Despite Missouri's rising case count, the state has not been included in the CDC's multistate outbreak investigation.
However, CDC officials last week added Illinois to the list of states its workers are investigating as part of the outbreak, which has been linked to lettuce produced by Taylor Farms in central Mexico. They also added Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania to the investigation.
The agency continues to warn consumers about recalled fresh produce linked to Taylor Farms.
The recall of certain Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce products remains in effect as federal officials continue investigating the outbreak.
