White House Says Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Is Under Control Despite Rising Cases

The Trump administration has a "handle" on the cyclosporiasis outbreak, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, while acknowledging an unusually high number of cases this year and urging Americans to follow basic food safety precautions, Antonio Pequeño IV reported for Forbes.

Health officials continue investigating the source of a multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak affecting thousands of people across the United States.

Leavitt rejected suggestions that leadership vacancies or funding cuts had slowed the federal response, saying the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) "have the resources they need."

She also encouraged Americans to follow CDC guidance by thoroughly washing fresh produce and properly preparing food to reduce the risk of infection.

According to the CDC, 1,645 confirmed cases had been reported across 34 states as of Tuesday, while investigators were reviewing approximately 5,100 additional suspected cases.

Federal, state, and local health officials are working together to trace the outbreak to its original source, Leavitt said, although she declined to say whether federal investigators had been deployed directly to farms or production facilities.

Since the outbreak began in May, at least 141 people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.