CDC adds four states to cyclospora lettuce outbreak

A major outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite cyclospora, has expanded to nine U.S. states, with thousands of people sickened and at least 100 hospitalized in Michigan alone. The outbreak has been traced to shredded iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and supplied by Taylor Farms, a major produce distributor.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the expansion on Friday, July 24, 2026, adding Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania to the list of affected states. They join Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia, where cases were previously identified. The inclusion of the new states indicates investigators are linking illnesses across a wider geographic area to trace the movement of a potentially contaminated product through the supply chain. Patients in the newly added states likely became ill around the same time as those in the initial states, but the connection was only recently confirmed.

Taylor Farms has voluntarily recalled all of its iceberg lettuce from central Mexico. The company is a key supplier to major retailers, including Walmart, Target, and Whole Foods, and...