US health officials investigate new outbreak of diarrhea-causing parasite

Federal health officials are investigating a new outbreak involving the diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora.

The outbreak included 72 people as of Wednesday.

The Food and Drug Administration has not yet identified which products are linked to the illnesses.

Officials also have not said where the cases are located. “This is an active investigation, and officials are working together to determine the specific cause of illnesses in this cluster,” the Department of Health and Human Services said in an email Thursday.

Federal officials earlier this week said they remained focused on lettuce from Taylor Farms as the source of a separate, multistate outbreak.

The company last week announced it was recalling iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico.

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects food that has come into contact with human feces, most commonly when produce is irrigated or washed with contaminated water.

When ingested, the parasite causes intestinal illness marked by “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preve