{"id":6774,"date":"2026-07-21T18:06:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T18:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=6774"},"modified":"2026-07-21T18:06:02","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T18:06:02","slug":"cyclosporiasis-outbreak-in-the-us-by-the-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=6774","title":{"rendered":"Cyclosporiasis outbreak in the US, by the numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Some US states are facing a large and growing outbreak of diarrhea caused by cyclospora, a microscopic parasite that can contaminate fresh food or water.\n <\/p>

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\n Iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms has been recalled, and it\u2019s likely that contaminated products have already been eaten or removed from shelves.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe do have the outbreak under control,\u201d US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday, noting the recall.\n <\/p>\n

\n But illness can take a while to appear, and the epidemiological curve of new cases hasn\u2019t yet slowed.\n <\/p>\n

\n Health officials are racing to trace the details of cases in an ongoing investigation, but the parasite is notoriously difficult to find. Testing produce can be challenging, and people who are sick may be asked to remember what they ate weeks earlier to help identify a common thread.\n <\/p>\n

\n Cases of cyclosporiasis are known to rise during spring and summer months in the US, with a typical season running from the start of May through the end of August, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But case counts are particularly high this year.\n <\/p>\n

\n Here\u2019s what we know about the situation so far.\n <\/p>\n

\n How big is the outbreak?\n<\/h2>\n

\n As of last week, the CDC has identified nearly 7,000 cases <\/strong>of domestic cyclosporiasis this season: 1,645 cases<\/strong> are confirmed, and about 5,100 others<\/strong> are undergoing further analysis to determine whether the illness was acquired in the US.\n <\/p>\n

\n Multiple \u201csubclusters\u201d of cyclosporiasis cases have been investigated this year by the US Food and Drug Administration in collaboration with the CDC and state partners. Two investigations<\/strong> remain ongoing, including the particularly large multistate outbreak centered in the Midwest.\n <\/p>\n

\n The CDC has linked 1,644 cases<\/strong> to this specific outbreak.\n <\/p>\n

\n However, CDC data includes only confirmed cases and hasn\u2019t been updated since last week. Data from individual states shows much higher case counts.\n <\/p>\n

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\n\n STREAMING NOW\n <\/span>\n<\/header>\n
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\"CL_DrJenniferMcEntire_Thumbnail.jpg\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\nHow to avoid the tiny parasite causing diarrhea and cramping<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n

\n What states are part of the outbreak?\n<\/h2>\n

\n The CDC has identified five states <\/strong>with cases linked to the ongoing outbreak: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.\n <\/p>\n

\n As of Tuesday, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has reported 6,571 cases <\/strong>of cyclosporiasis during the investigation timeframe. The state health department has said that it \u201ccannot say with certainty that every illness is linked to the same source of exposure\u201d but that the concentrated, sharp increase in cases \u201cstrongly suggests that the vast majority of these illnesses are associated with the same outbreak.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Ohio has reported at least 1,244 cases<\/strong>, Indiana has reported 511 cases<\/strong>, West Virginia has reported 195 cases<\/strong>, and Kentucky has reported 192 cases.<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

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\n Michigan and Indiana update data daily on weekdays, and West Virginia reports new totals twice a week, while Ohio and Kentucky update data weekly.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cThe true number of sick people in this multistate outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,\u201d according to an update from the CDC.\n <\/p>\n

\n Overall, 34 states<\/strong> have reported at least one domestically acquired cyclosporiasis case this season, according to the CDC.\n <\/p>\n

\n However, some states \u2014 including California and New Jersey \u2014 have noted that the number of cases they have reported this year is in line with typical seasonal trends.\n <\/p>\n

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\n What foods are affected in the large outbreak?\n<\/h2>\n

\n Everyone wants to know if their dinner is safe. Is cilantro safe to eat? Are tomatoes safe to eat? Is romaine lettuce safe to eat?\n <\/p>\n

\n Health officials in Michigan said they\u2019ve completed more than 2,000 interviews <\/strong>of people sick with cyclosporiasis. Health officials said there\u2019s \u201cvery strong\u201d evidence linking to outbreak to one product<\/strong> in particular: Shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms is the likely source. That contaminated lettuce was served at some Taco Bell locations.\n <\/p>\n

\n CDC recommends that people not eat any shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico served at Taco Bell locations in states with cases linked to the outbreak: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.\n <\/p>\n

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\nWorkers pack lettuces at a Taylor Farms field in the town of Doctor Mora, on the central state of Guanajuato, Mexico, Wednesday, March 26, 2008. American companies farm more than 45,000 acres, 18,211 hectacres, of land in three Mexican states, employing about 11,000 people, a 2007 survey by the U.S. farm group Western Growers shows.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Guillermo Arias\/AP\/File<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\nTaylor Farms lettuce remains the focus of cyclosporiasis investigation, despite false positive test<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

4 min read<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n

\n The FDA is working to determine whether contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce went to other places.\n <\/p>

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\n Taco Bell said Friday that it has removed Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants and its nationwide supply chain, and supplier Taylor Fresh Foods said that it\u2019s removing all of its iceberg lettuce from central Mexico from the US market.\n <\/p>\n

\n Taylor Farms has also recalled iceberg lettuce shipped to 27 states<\/strong>. Some of it went to Walmart and Jack in the Box. Other shipments went to food services.\n <\/p>\n

\n The investigation is ongoing, but no other foods have been identified to be part of this outbreak. Other foods most commonly linked to cyclospora outbreaks historically include basil, cilantro, berries and snap peas.\n <\/p>\n

\n Federal health officials said there have been multiple investigations around cyclospora this year, some tied to the large outbreak in the Midwest, some involving single states and some involving cases not yet tied to any cluster.\n <\/p>\n

\n How long does it take to get sick?\n<\/h2>\n

\n Illnesses associated with the current outbreak started in mid-May, and new illnesses have started as recently as last week, according to the CDC.\n <\/p>\n

\n It can take days \u2013 or up to two weeks<\/strong> \u2013 for symptoms of cyclosporiasis to appear after consuming contaminated food or water.\n <\/p>\n

\n Symptoms include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating and increased gas, nausea and fatigue.\n <\/p>\n

\n People who become ill may have symptoms for weeks.\n <\/p>\n

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\nPatient describes abdominal pain to the doctor.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n
AmnajKhetsamtip\/iStockphoto\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\nSo you think you caught cyclospora, the diarrhea-causing parasite. Here\u2019s what to do next<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

8 min read<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n

\n How severe is it?\n<\/h2>\n

\n At least 94 people<\/strong> have been hospitalized in relation to the current outbreak, according to the CDC. Dozens of other cyclospora hospitalizations have been reported this year.\n <\/p>\n

\n States specifically linked to the outbreak have reported hundreds of cyclospora hospitalizations<\/strong>:\n <\/p>\n

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