More than 18,000 cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported across 45 states since May 1, 2026, as a massive summer parasitic outbreak continues to spread through contaminated fresh produce across the United States.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that 6,707 cases have been laboratory-confirmed alongside at least 423 hospitalizations.
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Health authorities are currently investigating an additional 11,500 unconfirmed cases, with no reported deaths so far.
The current surge vastly exceeds typical national averages of roughly 3,000 annual infections.
Infection rates are particularly severe in the Midwest, where Michigan has recorded over 10,000 cases and Ohio has reported more than 2,500.
Potential Sources Under Investigation
Federal health agencies zeroed in on shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell as a primary potential source for a nine-state outbreak cluster.
Distributor Taylor Farms issued a voluntary recall for iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and distributed across 27 states.
Investigations remain ongoing into secondary clusters, including an outbreak in North Carolina potentially linked to fresh cilantro and parsley, alongside five other unidentified micro-outbreaks tracked by the Food and Drug Administration.
Tracing the microscopic parasite presents severe operational hurdles for public health investigators due to its multi-week incubation timeline and diagnostic delays, according to public health experts.
"This is a complicated outbreak.
There's no question about that," said Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.
