The largest cyclosporiasis outbreak recorded in the United States has now reached 20 states, federal health officials confirmed on Thursday, with 11,458 people sickened by a parasite tied to recalled iceberg lettuce.
The Food and Drug Administration said cases have been identified in three additional states — Georgia, Tennessee and Texas. The count rose from about 10,900 reported the previous week. Investigators have traced the outbreak to lettuce grown at a farm in central Mexico operated by Taylor Farms, a major U.S. produce supplier.
FDA staff continue to inspect and test produce at the farm alongside officials from the Mexican government. The 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 infects the bowels and spreads through feces. The illness it causes, cyclosporiasis, produces watery diarrhea and frequent bowel movements. Outbreaks occur most often in late spring and summer, when the heat-loving parasite thrives.
The condition is less common than foodborne illnesses caused by salmonella or E. coli, and many individual cases are never linked to a specific source. This year, the CDC reported about 29,000 confirmed or suspected cyclospora cases across the country, with 922 hospitalizations.
The current investigation follows earlier disruptions that cut US lettuce sales at fast-food chains and prompted product recalls across the supply chain. Health agencies at the federal and state level have coordinated the response as the case count climbed through the summer.
The FDA, CDC and state health departments continue joint testing at the Mexican farm as the largest outbreak of its kind in the country stays under active investigation.