17,000 Cyclospora Cases Amid Defunded Research

A massive outbreak of Cyclospora, a foodborne parasite, has sickened more than 17,000 Americans across 20 states this summer, even as key federal research projects aimed at understanding and combating the parasite are being defunded and relocated. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 17,180 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis acquired in the United States between May 1 and August 24, 2026, a dramatic increase from the 1,180 cases reported during the same period in 2025. The agency also recorded 922 hospitalizations and two deaths among this season's confirmed cases. The outbreak has been linked to processed iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and recalled by Taylor Farms de Mexico. According to the Food and Drug Administration, 11,458 illnesses in 20 states were tied specifically to that product, accounting for 495 hospitalizations and two deaths as of an update on August 27. The recalled lettuce, which included certain Marketside iceberg salad and shredded lettuce products sold at Walmart, is no longer on the market.