U.S. health officials have linked illnesses in 15 states to an ongoing Cyclospora outbreak associated with iceberg lettuce, expanding the affected area from nine states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Carolina to Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.
Cyclospora cases have appeared in at least 47 states during 2026, although officials are still determining which infections belong to a common source. AP reported more than 25,000 cases nationally, far above the previous U.S. high of about 4,700 reported in 2019. Michigan alone has recorded more than 12,000 cases and two deaths involving people with underlying health conditions.
Investigators first focused on shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants. The Food and Drug Administration later said epidemiological and supply-chain evidence converged on iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico from growers in central Mexico. Taylor Farms voluntarily removed that lettuce from the U.S. market on July 17, while Taco Bell said it stopped using lettuce from the supplier that day.
The recall includes selected Marketside iceberg salad and shredded lettuce packages sold at Walmart with best-if-used-by dates from July 18 through August 3, plus listed food-service products. The FDA has advised consumers, restaurants and retailers to discard recalled lettuce, sanitize surfaces and containers that touched it, and seek medical care if symptoms develop, especially after eating shredded iceberg lettuce.
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects the intestines and commonly causes frequent watery diarrhea. Other symptoms can include appetite loss, weight loss, cramps, bloating, nausea and fatigue; untreated illness may last a month or longer and can relapse. Investigations are difficult because symptoms can emerge well after exposure, laboratory analysis is complex and interviews must reconstruct what patients ate.
The FDA says its investigation remains open and warns that confirmed totals can rise for weeks because classifying cases may take as long as six weeks. It is tracking five separate Cyclospora outbreaks, with the 15-state event by far the largest; no food has yet been identified for the other outbreaks, including one involving 115 illnesses. Officials may identify additional products, sellers or distribution channels as tracing continues.
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