Federal health officials said Friday they have detected cases of parasitic infection causing diarrhea, linked to shredded lettuce, in four other US states, expanding the largest outbreak of cyclosporiasis (a gastrointestinal disease usually transmitted through contaminated food or water) in the United States.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the outbreak, initially linked to Taco Bell restaurants, now includes Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. The agency's investigations previously covered five states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.

The CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, and state health officials are tracking the lettuce supply chain and interviewing people across the country about foods they ate in the two weeks before falling ill, according to the Associated Press.

The number of cases linked to lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants has now risen to 1,947, including at least 98 people who required hospitalization. The CDC reported on its website that no deaths have been recorded.

Officials at the US Food and Drug Administration said earlier this week they are still focusing on lettuce from Taylor Farms as the source of the multi-state outbreak.

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

The US Food and Drug Administration announced yesterday, Thursday, it has opened an investigation into another separate outbreak of cyclosporiasis, after 72 cases were recorded."); googletag.cmd.push(function() { onDvtagReady(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-3341368-4'); }); }); }