US Health Authorities End Largest Recorded Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Linked to Contaminated Lettuce

Key facts

• US health authorities declared the nation's largest recorded multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak over after contaminated iceberg lettuce sickened thousands, with the FDA still probing how the parasite entered the food supply.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 12,883 people across 21 states fell ill after consuming contaminated lettuce, causing 570 hospitalizations and two deaths.
• The outbreak was linked to lettuce from central Mexico sourced by Taylor Farms, which recalled all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico on July 17.
• The outbreak accounted for more than half of the 19,595 laboratory-confirmed US cyclosporiasis cases reported since May 1, with over 1,000 infections reported in a single day at its peak before falling to fewer than two per day on average in August.
• Michigan was the hardest-hit state, reporting more than 14,000 cases and two deaths, while Ohio and Missouri also saw thousands of infections tied to the contaminated lettuce.
• Before 2026, the largest US cyclosporiasis season on record was in 2019, when roughly 4,700 illnesses were documented nationwide.