A nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak in the United States has surpassed 18,000 suspected and confirmed cases by late July, with Midwestern states hit hardest.
The outbreak has been linked to contaminated Mexican iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms.
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Health officials in at least nine states have connected regional illness clusters to Taylor Farms' operations in Mexico.
The product was distributed across 27 states.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed 6,707 US-acquired cases and is verifying an additional 11,500 reports through patient interviews.
In Michigan's Washtenaw County alone, over 900 cases have been reported since mid-June, out of more than 10,000 statewide.
Local contact tracers face significant delays because the parasite's incubation period can last up to two weeks, forcing nurses to review grocery app histories and restaurant receipts.
Testing Data and Public Awareness
Testing data from bioMerieux shows parasite positivity rates peaked at 15.6% in mid-July, up from 2.9% during the same week in 2025.
However, company officials noted that increased testing could influence overall percentages.
John Osiecki, Vice President of Medical Affairs at bioMerieux, said, "I'm feeling confident we're heading in that direction, but we need to continue to monitor this as we go forward."
Osiecki added that consumer awareness might be slowing transmission as people alter dining habits.
"I've been in a lot of social settings, and I've heard people request not to have lettuce just because they're aware of cyclospora," he said.
