Read, Watch or Listen

Atlanta, United States – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 4,173 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis since May 1, 2026, more than doubling the 1,645 cases recorded the previous week. Federal officials are also monitoring about 7,400 additional illnesses that require laboratory testing to determine whether they are domestically acquired, a 45% increase from 5,100 suspected cases earlier in the investigation. Confirmed infections now exceed the 3,955 cases reported in all of 2025 and span 41 states. At least 308 patients have been hospitalized, with no deaths reported, and patients range in age from 2 to 95 years old, with a median age of 44. State health departments in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, and New York have collectively reported more than 8,000 illnesses this summer, including 6,571 cases in Michigan alone, but the CDC says the higher numbers largely reflect reporting lags rather than a sudden surge in new infections. Atlanta, United States – Federal and state health officials have linked the multistate outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia, tracing the product to a single supplier, Taylor Farms de Mexico. The company has issued a voluntary recall covering all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and distributed in the United States, including products supplied to retail stores, restaurants, food service customers, and Marketside-brand items sold at Walmart. Although an initial Food and Drug Administration test appeared to show cyclospora contamination in a Taylor Farms lettuce sample, the agency later classified that result as a false positive, underscoring the technical challenges of genetically analyzing the parasite. The CDC is urging clinicians to specifically test symptomatic patients for cyclospora, warning that routine stool tests may miss the infection, and advises consumers and businesses to discard or return any recalled lettuce, thoroughly wash hands, produce, and kitchen surfaces, and cook produce to at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius) to kill the parasite.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.