US cyclospora outbreak tied to Mexican-grown lettuce now spans 20 states, sickens more than 11,400
A parasitic foodborne outbreak linked to recalled iceberg lettuce has now reached 20 U.S. states, federal health officials said Thursday, confirming 11,458 cases of cyclosporiasis in what regulators describe as the largest U.S. outbreak of its kind on record. The case count is up from roughly 10,900 reported a week earlier. The Food and Drug Administration said government scientists have identified newly affected states in Georgia, Tennessee and Texas, expanding the geographic footprint of an investigation that began earlier this summer.
By Source Reporters Newsdesk
Fri, 28 August 2026 · 2 min read
A parasitic foodborne outbreak linked to recalled iceberg lettuce has now reached 20 U.S. states, federal health officials said Thursday, confirming 11,458 cases of cyclosporiasis in what regulators describe as the largest U.S. outbreak of its kind on record. The case count is up from roughly 10,900 reported a week earlier. The Food and Drug Administration said government scientists have identified newly affected states in Georgia, Tennessee and Texas, expanding the geographic footprint of an investigation that began earlier this summer. (AP News)
The FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and state health officials have focused their probe on lettuce grown at a farm in central Mexico operated by Taylor Farms, a major U.S. produce supplier. The FDA said its staff are continuing to inspect and test produce at the farm in cooperation with Mexican government officials, and that the agency "remains confident that all recalled iceberg lettuce related to this specific cyclospora outbreak is off the market." (AP News)
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects the bowels and spreads through fecal contamination of food or water. According to the CDC, infection typically causes watery diarrhea "with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements," along with fatigue, loss of appetite and cramping; outbreaks tend to occur most often in late spring and summer. The illness, called cyclosporiasis, is less common than foodborne illnesses caused by salmonella or E. coli, and many cases are never linked to a specific food or other source. (AP News)
Earlier this week, the CDC reported that there have been about 29,000 confirmed or suspected cyclospora cases in the U.S. this year and 922 hospitalizations, putting 2026 on track to far surpass the previous worst U.S. year for the infection, 2019, when roughly 4,700 illnesses were reported nationally. Health officials continue to urge consumers to discard recalled Taylor Farms–associated iceberg lettuce products and to seek medical care for prolonged watery diarrhea, which is treated with a course of specific antibiotics. (AP News)
**Sources:** Associated Press
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