Massive Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Traced to Taylor Farms Iceberg Lettuce

A multi-state outbreak of cyclosporiasis—caused by the parasite *Cyclospora*—has been linked to bagged iceberg lettuce supplied by privately held Taylor Farms and grown in central Mexico. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on July 17 that the lettuce sold in 27 states, including the nine states experiencing the outbreak, was being recalled. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health warning on July 14 after confirming the link.

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Michigan has been the hardest hit, reporting more than 8,100 cases, according to state officials, while the CDC’s laboratory-confirmed count nationwide stands at 4,173 with over 7,400 additional unconfirmed cases. The scale of the outbreak coincides with reductions in federal public-health funding: the 2025 Trump administration cancelled roughly $12 billion in COVID-era grants, resulting in 23 fewer infectious-disease workers and 123 fewer county health staff in Michigan. Cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development also eliminated $40 million that supported a CDC parasitic-disease lab.

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• Confirmed cases in the nine-state cluster: at least 1,947 illnesses and 98 hospitalizations (New York Times).

New York Times

• Michigan’s case tally: 7,664 reported by Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian (likely an undercount) and >8,100 reported by state officials.

New York Times

• County-level counts as of July 24: Oakland County — 710 cases; Ingham County — ? 700 cases; Washtenaw County — > 770 cases; Shiawassee County — ? 450 cases.

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• Approximately 12 % of patients have no clear link to lettuce consumption or fast-food venues (CDC).

Reuters

State and local health officials say the outbreak’s investigation extends beyond the recalled lettuce, noting that many patients lack a documented exposure. The CDC continues to explore additional sources, while the FDA has halted nationwide use of Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce. Federal agencies assert daily coordination with state and local partners, though Michigan officials report irregular formal meetings and reliance on news updates for new information. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed that CDC teams were deployed to Ohio on July 22 for a three-week intelligence effort.

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• “We have had to pull in dozens of staff from other areas, from hepatitis C and interns who are working on gun violence prevention,” — Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state’s chief medical executive

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• “We've got this huge volume (of cases) and so many people working on it and it's not getting clearer,” — Ringler Cerniglia, spokesperson

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