The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that a cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce has now spread to nine states, marking the largest cyclosporiasis outbreak reported in the United States this year.
Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania have joined the list of affected states, adding to previously identified cases in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Michigan. The CDC has tallied 1,947 people infected with the parasite who reported eating at Taco Bell restaurants in these states.
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite typically transmitted through contaminated food or water. It causes cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness characterized by severe diarrhea and other symptoms that can require hospitalization. No deaths have been recorded in connection with the outbreak this year.
The case count already far exceeds the roughly 200 to 1,000 cyclosporiasis infections typically reported annually in the United States. Illnesses in the current outbreak began June 22 and have continued through July 20, according to the CDC. The federal count has lagged behind state tallies, meaning some affected states have reported higher infection numbers.
Taylor Farms Under Investigation
U.S. health and food regulators have identified shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms as the likely source. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration said the produce giant supplied the lettuce to Taco Bell restaurants where people ate before becoming ill.
Taylor Farms issued a voluntary recall for all iceberg lettuce sourced from its Guanajuato, Mexico facility, and Taco Bell removed the affected lettuce from its restaurants. The company supplies lettuce and other produce to major retailers including Walmart, Target and Whole Foods, as well as restaurant chains.
Mexican health authorities said Thursday that samples of lettuce and water from Taylor Farms’ plant in central Mexico tested negative for cyclospora. However, that result does not disprove the FDA’s identification of Taylor Farms de Mexico as the likely source, given the outbreak’s timeline. The earliest cases began showing symptoms in mid-May, and the long incubation period means the responsible crop would have been distributed weeks ago.
Controversy Over Response
Taylor Farms has faced criticism for its handling of the outbreak. Health experts criticized the company’s recall notice for using abbreviations and failing to clearly communicate which products posed a risk to consumers.
Confusion deepened after the FDA reported a false positive test result of lettuce samples from Taylor Farms on Sunday. Taylor Farms subsequently issued a statement claiming the health agency had apologized, but the FDA clarified it had not apologized. Taylor Farms deleted the statement from X, though it remains available on the company’s website. The FDA maintained its position that the company’s iceberg lettuce is the likely outbreak source.
The FDA is also investigating a separate cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to an unidentified food product. Some experts have suggested that recent staffing cuts may have complicated efforts to contain the outbreak’s spread.
Source: www.cnbc.com — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/24/cyclospora-cdc-says-outbreak-is-in-nine-states.html
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