The CDC, FDA, and local public health officials have seen an increase in Cyclospora infections linked to iceberg lettuce. On July 17th, 2026, Taylor Farms initiated a recall of iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. You can learn more about what products are affected on the CDC site, but most of them have been pulled from store shelves by now. The products were widely distributed to restaurants and retailers, spanning 27 states. As of today, there are over 6,000 known cases, with 278 hospitalizations and 2 deaths. Here are the locations of the illnesses, with most of them centered around Michigan.
And here is a timeline of the infections. Since the source of the outbreak has been identified, Taylor Farms, and mitigated, the outbreak is subsiding. It was curious that the FDA retracted the positive Cyclospora test. If the source was still unidentified, I would expect the outbreak to have continued.
The symptoms of cyclosporiasis are pretty obvious: explosive, watery diarrhea, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Symptoms appear 2 days to 2 weeks after consumption and, without treatment, can last a few days to up to a month or more! Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is an effective treatment for the illness. If you are allergic to this treatment or cannot take it for other reasons, there is no known alternate treatment. You basically have to gut it out until you recover.
The American Society for Microbiology wrote a great article on the prevention of Foodborne outbreaks. You won’t be surprised to learn that it is complicated. Pre-harvest contamination from water, soil, animals (wild or domesticated), farm equipment, humans, and insects is all possible. Soil and water quality are critical, but what needs to be done depends upon the soil quality, type and texture, and water chemistry and salinity. Seasonal factors, such as temperature and humidity, also play a role. Cold temperatures are going to slow the growth of microorganisms, and dry conditions will also inhibit their growth.
And the final paragraph in that article is infuriating. The rampage of DOGE through our government eliminated both the USDA National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods and the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection. These committees provide impartial advice and recommendations to the federal government. What a surprise that we are now seeing more food safety problems.