Cyclosporiasis outbreak sickens thousands in U.S. spread furtherFederal health officials have linked four more states to contaminated iceberg lettuce imported from Mexico.
USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania were linked to the initial surge in cases in Michigan, it said Friday. The CDC has linked nearly 2,000 cases to lettuce in nine states, including Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia, and thousands more people have reported infections to local health departments.
U.S. authorities have previously linked illnesses in the Midwest to lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms to Taco Bell. Taylor Farms has recalled product shipped to 27 states and suspended all iceberg lettuce sourced and produced from central Mexico. The CDC and Food and Drug Administration say people should throw away the recalled lettuce.
“We have commissioned independent experts to conduct a top-to-bottom review of food safety processes and protocols at our central Mexico facility,” the company said. “We will continue to work with health authorities, customers and independent agricultural partners to resolve this issue.”
Infections with the diarrhea-causing Cyclospora parasite increase during warm summer months, and new cases are emerging in other parts of the country. At least 41 states have reported infections in recent weeks, and more than 300 people have been hospitalized, according to the CDC.
North Carolina health officials have reported more than 560 infections since July 20 and said on Friday that some of the infections were linked to parsley, cilantro and lettuce. The health department said it was not part of the original Midwest cluster connected to Taco Bell.
FDA is investigation The agency said Wednesday that another cyclospora outbreak has occurred, with 72 cases of unknown origin.
Tests of lettuce and water samples from the Taylor Farms facility in Mexico came back negative for Cyclospora, Mexican authorities said late Thursday. The FDA previously reported a false positive on the company’s lettuce, but said Friday that “this false positive laboratory sample does not change the basis of FDA’s ongoing outbreak investigation or the overwhelming epidemiological data supporting Taylor Farms’ current voluntary recall.”
Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.
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