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Federal health authorities on Wednesday confirmed that a parasitic infection outbreak has spread to 15 states, with contaminated iceberg lettuce identified as the source. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded the list of affected states after determining additional cases were connected to the same contamination event, bringing the total from nine states previously identified.
Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Carolina were newly added to the outbreak investigation, joining Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Investigators have traced the source to Taylor Farms, a lettuce supplier whose iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico was distributed through retailers including Taco Bell locations across the country.
The company has initiated a recall of the affected produce. While cyclospora cases have been documented in at least 47 states this year, researchers continue to determine how many cases originated from the contaminated lettuce source versus other potential exposures.
The parasite causes cyclosporiasis, characterized by watery diarrhea with frequent and sometimes severe bowel movements, according to CDC guidance. Symptoms can emerge weeks after exposure, complicating investigation and containment efforts. Dr. Juan Luis Marquez, medical director for Washtenaw and Livingston County health departments in Michigan, noted that staffing reductions across federal, state and local public health agencies have reduced investigative capacity.
This year’s outbreak has already surpassed the worst year on record, 2019, when approximately 4,700 illnesses were reported nationally. Michigan alone has documented more than 12,000 cases, including two deaths, with the national total exceeding 25,000 cases across all reporting states.
The FDA is currently monitoring five separate cyclospora outbreaks nationwide. The 15-state outbreak represents the largest of these incidents, while other ongoing outbreaks have not been connected to specific food products, with one affecting 115 people.
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