Federal officials remain focused on Taylor Farms as the source of a cyclosporiasis outbreak affecting multiple states. Despite a false positive test for the parasite, the FDA continues its traceback investigation, with officials stating that shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms locations in central Mexico remains the likely contamination source. The recalled products were distributed to 28 states but cases are currently concentrated in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and to a lesser extent Kentucky and West Virginia. The products were sent to retailers including Walmart and Jack in the Box, as well as major food service distributors.
Meanwhile, efforts to restrict abortion medication access are intensifying. An acting attorney general recently committed during a congressional hearing to preventing the shipment of abortion drugs through the mail. A U.S. senator subsequently referred a nonprofit organization and a pharmaceutical manufacturer to the Department of Justice for criminal investigation, alleging coordination to circumvent state laws. The senator’s characterization drew comparisons to prior DOJ allegations regarding collusion between healthcare providers and drugmakers.
These enforcement actions come as the FDA proceeds with a safety study of mifepristone, a drug commonly used in medication abortions that has been approved and in use for decades. The study was initiated following advocacy from antiabortion groups. Public opinion data indicates most Americans support legal abortion in most circumstances, with voter ballots in four states scheduled to address abortion access later this year.
In other health news, antimicrobial resistance among children has substantially increased globally over the past two decades, according to research published in a medical journal. The study analyzed more than 106,000 samples from minors across 82 countries and identified Gram-negative bacteria as primary drivers of resistance. Projections indicate two specific bacterial species may reach high levels of resistance to last-resort antibiotics by 2035.