US officials tie cyclospora outbreak involving iceberg lettuce to 3 more
states
[August 28, 2026]
By MATTHEW PERRONE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Parasitic illness cases linked to recalled iceberg
lettuce have now been confirmed in 20 states, federal health officials
said Thursday, expanding the scope of the largest outbreak of its kind
in the U.S.
The Food and Drug Administration said government scientists have now
identified cases in three additional states: Georgia, Tennessee and
Texas.
The tally of people sickened by the parasite is now 11,458, up from
about 10,900 reported last week.
The FDA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health
officials have focused their investigation on lettuce grown at a farm in
central Mexico operated by Taylor Farms, a major U.S. produce supplier.
The FDA said its staffers are continuing to inspect and test produce at
the farm, in cooperation with officials from the Mexican government. The
U.S. agency said it “remains confident that all recalled iceberg lettuce
related to this specific cyclospora outbreak is off the market.”
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that commonly causes watery
diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,”
according to the CDC. Outbreaks tend to occur most often in the late
spring and summer.
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This undated photo taken through a microscope and provided by the
CDC shows Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts found in a fresh stool
sample which had been prepared with a formalin solution and stained
with safranin. (CDC via AP, File)
 The heat-loving parasite infects the
bowels and spreads through feces. The illness, called cyclosporiasis,
is less common than foodborne illnesses caused by other germs,
including salmonella and E. coli. Many cyclospora cases are never
linked to a specific food or other source.
Earlier this week, the CDC reported that there have been about
29,000 confirmed or suspected cyclospora cases in the U.S. this
year. There have been 922 hospitalizations, according to the agency.
Previously, the worst year in the U.S. for infections was 2019, when
about 4,700 illnesses were reported nationally.
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