The Ministry of Agriculture says Jamaica has heightened its surveillance of all imported iceberg lettuce, other leafy vegetables, and fruits originating in or transiting through the United States amid the multistate outbreak of the diarrhoea-causing parasite Cyclospora.

The Ministry said the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that, as of July 18, there have been 1,644 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, including 94 hospitalisations.

It stated that, based on available reports, several illnesses have been linked to shredded iceberg lettuce distributed through a commercial supply chain.