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Cyclosporiasis outbreaks in four states are likely epidemiologically linked, part of an unusually large wave of cases in at least 34 states, CDC officials said. While the agency still hasn't identified a specific culprit behind the likely foodborne illnesses, cases in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia are likely part of a single outbreak, said Gwen Biggerstaff, ScD, deputy director of CDC's Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases. (Rudd, 7/14)

Nearly 7,000 people nationwide may have cyclosporiasis, a foodborne illness that can cause weeks of severe diarrhea, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday. The bulk of the cases are in Michigan, which has confirmed 3,309 cases. In a health alert, the CDC reported that 1,645 people have been sickened by cyclosporiasis across the country, making it one of the largest outbreaks of foodborne illness in the U.S. in years. The CDC urged doctors to be alert for patients with common symptoms of the infection, including watery diarrhea, bloating and nausea. (Edwards, 7/14)

Yum Brands’ Taco Bell said on Tuesday it had removed limited items from some restaurants as a precaution but said U.S. health officials have not linked the widening outbreak of cyclosporiasis to the chain or any specific food product. “Public health officials have not confirmed a link to Taco Bell or any specific ingredient, supplier, restaurant or retailer,” Taco Bell said. The chain said it would continue to monitor the situation closely and follow the guidance of public health authorities. (7/14)

A Public Health Alerts report today details the characteristics of 49 hospitalized measles patients in the ongoing outbreak in Utah. The patients represent 8% of the total assessed, and 90% were not vaccinated. (Wappes, 7/14)

Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, has explained his month-long absence from Congress as the result of a fall at home, caused by complications from the polio infection he survived as a child. “Surviving childhood polio meant spending my entire life with mobility challenges,” said McConnell, 84, in a July 12 statement. “They haven’t exactly gotten easier to manage with age. And last month, I took a fall which landed me in the hospital.” (Szabo, 7/14)

Nigeria has recorded 221 deaths from Lassa fever since the beginning of the year, now surpassing the 190 fatalities recorded last year, officials from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) announced yesterday. (Soucheray, 7/14)