CDC reports 11,500 cyclosporiasis cases across 41 states

A record-breaking outbreak of the parasitic illness cyclosporiasis has sickened thousands of Americans across dozens of states, with federal health officials grappling to identify the source and manage the largest such event in U.S. history. As of July 23, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 11,500 cases across 41 states, involving at least 308 hospitalizations, though no deaths have been reported.

The nationwide surge is comprised of multiple outbreak clusters, with six distinct investigations now open, three times the total reported in all of 2025. A major multistate cluster spans Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky, accounting for a significant portion of the national caseload. Michigan alone has reported over 7,600 cases. Federal investigators have recently linked four additional states-Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania-to this main multistate outbreak, which has been traced to shredded iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and distributed to Taco Bell restaurants and grocery stores in at least nine states. Supplier Taylor Farms initiated a voluntary recall of lettuce distributed to 27 states.