A local outbreak of a diarrhea-causing parasitic infection linked to tainted lettuce served at Cheshire Medical Center earlier this summer is over, a Dartmouth Health spokesperson said Wednesday.
The news comes as the Keene, N.H., hospital has reported no new cases for the second straight week. The hospital’s total number of cyclosporiasis cases still stands at 34, 21 of which involved employees. Twenty-eight cases were linked to contaminated Taylor Farms lettuce from the hospital salad bar, the spokesperson said.
As of Tuesday, the N.H. Department of Health and Human Services had tallied 94 cases statewide, up from 89 last week.
Roughly half the cases — 43 — were linked to consuming a recalled product. All but four of these were linked to Taylor Farms lettuce served at Cheshire Medical Center’s cafeteria. Cheshire Medical’s figures reflect samples tested at the hospital’s own lab, while the state’s tally includes all confirmed cases linked to contaminated lettuce served at the hospital.
The cases linked to the hospital cafeteria are part of a multistate outbreak that has thus far sickened more than 30,000 people since May 1, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cheshire Medical was the only location in New Hampshire linked to an outbreak, according to the state health department’s data.
The cafeteria served contaminated lettuce from Taylor Farms from the beginning of June to July 20, state health officials said. The lettuce, which was later recalled, is no longer served there.
Infections of cyclospora, which cause persistent, watery diarrhea, typically spike in hotter months, according to the CDC, but the nationwide cases this summer were far higher than normal.
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