A multistate Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de México grew to at least 11,458 illnesses across 20 states, with 495 hospitalizations and two deaths, in the CDC update issued at the start of September. It would keep growing for another two weeks before investigators closed the case.
Update: The CDC has since declared this outbreak over, with a final toll of 12,883 illnesses across 21 states, at least 570 hospitalizations, and two deaths. The figures below reflect where the investigation stood as the outbreak was still growing.
Where it started
Illness onset dates ran back to June 14, with the most recent reported onset at that point on August 15. Investigators traced many of the illnesses to iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations and sold at retail across multiple states, including Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Kansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.
The recall came after most exposures had happened
Taylor Farms de México recalled all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico on July 17. That date matters when set against the June 14 start of illnesses: contaminated product had been circulating for roughly a month before the recall, which is why the case count climbed so high. Investigators used Cyclospora genotyping on patient samples to confirm the illnesses were genetically related rather than coincidental, which is the step that let them tie scattered cases in different states to a single source.
Why Cyclospora outbreaks take so long to resolve
Cyclospora is slower than most foodborne illnesses at every stage. The parasite has a long incubation period, symptoms can persist or relapse for weeks, and diagnosis requires a specific test that isn’t part of a standard stool panel, so cases are frequently missed or confirmed late. The practical effect is that the reported count lags real infections by a wide margin, and health officials must wait through an extended quiet period before concluding no new linked cases are emerging. That is why an outbreak whose last illness onset was in mid-August was not formally declared over until September.
The deaths and other clusters
Both deaths connected to the outbreak were reported in Michigan. Separately, the CDC and FDA were investigating at least six other Cyclospora clusters with no confirmed source, a reminder that the lettuce outbreak was the largest identified event of the season rather than the only one.
