Cyclospora Outbreak Tops 6,700 Cases in 34 States — Here’s What’s Linked to Taco Bell’s Recalled Lettuce
A large and unusually early outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic intestinal illness, has sickened thousands of people across the United States this summer, running more than six times higher than the same period last year. Health officials have tied a significant portion of the cases to recalled iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations, though the broader nationwide surge appears to involve more than one source.
The Scale of the Outbreak
As of mid-July, the CDC had received reports of 6,707 cases of domestically acquired cyclosporiasis since May 1 — meaning people who got sick without having traveled internationally in the two weeks before symptoms started, according to the Washington State Department of Health. Of those, 1,645 had been laboratory-confirmed at the time of the CDC’s health alert, while more than 5,100 additional reports were still being analyzed to confirm they qualified as domestically acquired.
That total dwarfs the same stretch a year earlier. The CDC reported just 249 cases nationally between May 1 and July 16, 2025, according to its Health Alert Network notice — meaning this year’s confirmed case count alone is already more than six times higher, even before accounting for the thousands of additional reports still under review. Gwen Biggerstaff, deputy director of the CDC’s Division of Foodborne Diseases, told reporters the volume of cases is “unusually high” for this point in the typical May-to-August cyclosporiasis season.
Cases have been reported in 34 states. Confirmed patients have ranged in age from 2 to 95, with a median age of 44, and 56% were female. Of those with hospitalization data available, 9% required hospitalization. No deaths have been reported.
Two Overlapping Investigations
The outbreak actually involves at least two distinct threads that health officials are tracking separately.
The first is a broader, nationwide surge in cases across 34 states that investigators haven’t fully explained. Within that surge, the CDC has flagged a cluster of more than 400 cases concentrated in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky that it believes may share a common food source, though a specific product hadn’t been confirmed as of the CDC’s mid-July alert.
The second, more clearly defined thread is a nine-state outbreak specifically tied to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants. As of the FDA’s most recent update, 1,947 illnesses tied to Taco Bell exposure had been reported across Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, with 98 people hospitalized and no deaths.
How Investigators Traced It to Lettuce
Michigan, which emerged as the epicenter of the outbreak, played a central role in identifying the likely source. The state’s health department conducted more than 2,000 patient interviews, and an early analysis of 190 people who had eaten at Taco Bell found that 90% reported eating iceberg lettuce, according to the CDC’s investigation update.
The FDA’s traceback investigation subsequently identified Taylor Farms de Mexico as the single supplier whose lettuce converged across the Taco Bell locations tied to the illnesses. On July 17, the company announced it was voluntarily pulling all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market, and the FDA posted a formal recall notice the following day.
The recalled products were sold under multiple brand names — including CV, JB, Mark, PK, SUB, SY, TF, and MKTSD — in both foodservice packaging and retail bags in 8-, 12-, 16-, and 24-ounce sizes, according to topclassactions.com’s summary of the recall. Some of the recalled retail product was also sold under Walmart’s Marketside brand. In total, the recalled lettuce was distributed to more than two dozen states between June 29 and July 16, even though confirmed illnesses have been concentrated in the nine states connected to Taco Bell.
Taco Bell said in a statement that it removed Taylor Farms lettuce from its supply chain nationwide “indefinitely” as a precaution, even in locations not directly tied to confirmed cases.
Why the Investigation Has Been Difficult
Cyclospora investigations are notoriously slow and complicated. Gwen Biggerstaff of the CDC told reporters that cyclosporiasis investigations are “particularly challenging and take a significant amount of time and effort.” Part of the difficulty is that the illness has an incubation period of roughly seven to ten days, and it can take up to six weeks after someone gets sick to confirm whether their case is connected to a broader outbreak, according to CDC guidance — meaning the reported case count consistently lags behind the true scope of illness.
The FDA has also faced setbacks in its lab testing. According to NPR, one early positive test result on suspect product was later reviewed and declared a false positive by the FDA in mid-July, though officials said the traceback data and patient interviews still pointed toward the recalled lettuce as a likely source. The FDA said it continues testing both distributed lettuce samples and produce entering the U.S. at the southern border, though as of NPR’s reporting, none of that additional testing had turned up positive results.
What Cyclosporiasis Actually Is
Cyclosporiasis is caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis, a microscopic parasite that spreads through food or water contaminated with feces from an infected person — commonly referred to as the fecal-oral route. It is not spread person-to-person. The illness causes watery, sometimes severe diarrhea, along with cramping, nausea, and fatigue, and in the U.S. it has historically been linked to fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly imported produce.
Diagnosis requires a specific stool test, since standard lab panels often miss the parasite; clinicians need to specifically request Cyclospora testing when it’s suspected, according to Infection Control Today. Most patients recover fully with appropriate antibiotic treatment, though immunocompromised individuals can experience prolonged illness.
FAQ
Is it still unsafe to eat lettuce from Taco Bell? Taco Bell has removed Taylor Farms lettuce from its supply chain nationwide. The CDC and FDA’s specific warning applied to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia; lettuce sold in grocery stores or other restaurants was not part of that specific warning.
How many people have gotten sick overall? The CDC has received reports of 6,707 domestically acquired cyclosporiasis cases nationwide since May 1, 2026, with 1,645 laboratory-confirmed at the time of the agency’s health alert and thousands more under review.
Has anyone died from this outbreak? No deaths have been reported in either the broader nationwide surge or the Taco Bell-linked outbreak specifically, as of the most recent updates from the CDC and FDA.
What states have been affected? Cases have been reported in 34 states overall. The outbreak specifically tied to Taco Bell lettuce spans nine states: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
How do I know if my symptoms are related to this outbreak? Cyclosporiasis causes watery diarrhea, cramping, nausea, and fatigue, typically starting about a week after exposure. If you have these symptoms and recently ate lettuce or produce from an affected area, contact a healthcare provider and specifically mention possible Cyclospora exposure, since standard stool tests may not catch it without a specific request.
Conclusion
This year’s cyclosporiasis outbreak stands out both for its unusual scale — more than six times last year’s case count for the same period — and for the fact that investigators have only definitively traced part of it to a single source. With Taylor Farms’ recall in effect and Taco Bell’s supply chain change nationwide, the Taco Bell-linked cases should begin to taper off, but the broader multistate surge, including the unexplained cluster in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky, remains under active investigation. Anyone experiencing persistent watery diarrhea after eating fresh produce this summer should see a healthcare provider and ask specifically about Cyclospora testing.
Sources: CDC, FDA, NPR, CNN, NBC News, ABC News, Infection Control Today, Washington State Department of Health (reporting dated July 14-31, 2026).