CDC and FDA are tracking at least two outbreaks of infections caused by the Cyclospora parasite, with a combined total of 7,000 confirmed cases.
The first outbreak was linked to Taylor Farms’ iceberg lettuce products and Taco Bell restaurants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are 1,947 patients across nine states. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports the same numbers.
There are 98 recorded hospitalizations and no deaths. The most recent date of illness was July 20. Taylor Farms recalled iceberg lettuce products from its central Mexico grow operations, and Taco Bell stopped using Taylor Farms lettuce last week.
States with patients include Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Lettuce products were distributed in the United States and Mexico. In the United States, recalled iceberg lettuce products were sold to various restaurants in addition to retail stores such as Taco Bell and Walmart. Taco Bell is the only U.S. customer to issue a statement regarding the use or sale of Taylor Farms lettuce.
The US distribution states are Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. The product may have been distributed in larger quantities and reached additional states, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
For the second outbreak, CDC is reporting 4,173 laboratory-confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis and is aware of more than 7,400 additional cases that have not yet been laboratory-confirmed and require further investigation and analysis. Most of the additional cases were reported in Michigan and Ohio.
As of July 24, there were 8,176 people hospitalized in Michigan, with 160 patients reported hospitalized. More hospitalizations are likely to be reported as state officials continue to gather complete information from patients. Ohio is reporting more than 2,000 cases. It’s unclear whether both the Michigan and Ohio cases came from Taylor Farms lettuce.
The specific source of the parasite in the second outbreak has not yet been identified.
The FDA and CDC are now reporting that the outbreak began on June 22 and lasted until July 20. Until today, they both said May 13th to July 13th. You can see this happening on a single FDA page. The current update is marked as June 22nd, and the three July 16th entries preserved below it are still marked as May 13th. Approximately 6 weeks of illness was within the outbreak definition yesterday and outside the range today. The FDA said the increase in cases is partly due to the four new states and that it could take up to six weeks to determine whether a sick person is part of the outbreak.
The discrepancy between the state numbers reported by the CDC and the number of sick people is partly because the CDC stopped counting Cyclospora infections starting July 1, 2025, at the direction of the Trump administration.
The FDA now says Taylor Farms recall It has reached territories outside the United States, and the company’s own customer records show that the recalled products were sold to consumers in Mexico. This was the day after Mexico’s Health Ministry announced that samples taken from the plant were negative.
On July 18, the FDA reported that samples of Taylor Farms’ iceberg lettuce product tested positive for Cyclospora. The next day, the agency withdrew its statement, saying the test results were false positive. However, the FDA said the false positives do not change the basis for the investigation or the epidemiological data supporting the recall, and that tracking and outbreak data continue to converge on shredded iceberg lettuce from central Mexican growers.
Introduction to Cyclospora
Anyone who develops symptoms of Cyclospora infection and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite should seek medical attention. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight parasites.
Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. Symptoms may appear between 2 and 14 days after exposure. Although symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, death from Cyclospora infection is rare.
Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, small single-celled organisms. It is spread when people ingest contaminated feces, usually through contaminated food or water. Unlike E. coli or Salmonella, which can also be transmitted in animal feces, it can only be transmitted through human feces.
