By Rajwa Quasim
A cyclosporiasis outbreak in the U.S. has infected over 1,645 people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with over 1,645 confirmed cases, 5,100 others undergoing further analysis and no deaths reported so far. The number of cases are more likely to rise as CDC cautioned that 7,400 people were under review for suspected infection.
On the source of outbreak, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided conflicting information. On July 17, Taylor Farms issued a recall of iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico and exported to the United States after the FDA confirmed on July 18 that it had tested positive for a parasite. However, the following day, the agency announced that the result was a false positive after re-reviewing the data. On Monday, the FDA said its supply chain investigation continues to point to the company’s Mexican facilities as the source.
“We do have the outbreak under control,” US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday, noting the recall.
On Tuesday, Mexican Secretary of Health David Kershenobich stated that there’s no evidence of outbreak being started in the central state of Guanajuato which is now under investigation. “So far, no evidence has been found to indicate that it originated there,” he said.
READ: Taco Bell lettuce linked to parasite outbreak in five states (July 17, 2026)
CDC reports cases in over 30 states, mostly in the Midwest and Northeast. It has also issued guidelines; do not eat any recalled lettuce and discard it immediately, if bought from Taylor Farms de Mexico or distributed by Taylor Fresh Foods. The CDC has identified five states linked to the ongoing outbreak: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
Taco bell has removed lettuce, cilantro, Pico de Gallo, and guacamole from some locations as a precaution.
Cyclospora, a tiny parasite, causes an intestinal illness called cyclosporiasis. As it enters the body, it affects the intestines, and the symptoms last weeks, if not treated. According to CDC, an individual gets infected after eating or drinking contaminated food and water, usually when human waste enters the food or water supply.
It does not usually spread directly from one person to another, unlike most foodborne illnesses. After leaving the body through a bowel movement, the parasite stays in the environment for weeks before it affects someone else.
The infection is less common than bacterial infections like salmonella, E. coli, and others, but in the past decade, cyclosporiasis has become a common one. Likely due to better testing and apt environmental conditions such as warmer weather.
READ: Taco Bell faces investigation over diarrhea-causing parasite outbreak (July 14, 2026)
The past outbreaks have been linked with fresh produce, such as leafy greens, herbs, and berries which are taken raw and maybe exposed to contaminated water. Thus, it is prescribed to take extra care in handling fresh produce, especially when washing them.
Symptoms of a cyclospora infection usually appear around a week after a person eats contaminated food or drinks contaminated water, although they can develop as early as two days or as late as two weeks after exposure.
The most common symptom is frequent, watery diarrhea, but the infection can also cause loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, bloating, gas, nausea, and extreme tiredness.
Some people may also experience vomiting, body aches, headaches, low-grade fever, or other flu-like symptoms. Others, particularly those who live in areas where cyclospora is common, may have no symptoms at all.
To prevent the infection, it is recommended to wash hands before and after handling food, rinse all produce under running water even if it is labeled as “pre-washed”, scrub firm fruits and veggies with a clean brush, cook the produce to a temperature of at least 158 °F (70°C), and refrigerate cut or cooked produce within two hours.