State Counts for U.S. Cyclospora Cases Pass 21,000; Michigan Reports Two Deaths
Editor's note: This story has been edited to include the latest outbreak updates, listed chronologically at the bottom of the article. Alternatively, you can read the most recent coverage here.
Michigan updated its case count on August 3 in a massive Cyclospora cayetanensis outbreak, reporting 11,234 illnesses and 193 hospitalizations. Michigan also reported two deaths tied to the outbreak. According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, medical records showed that "both individuals had significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration."
On July 31, Ohio released an updated case count of 4,087 cases of cyclosporiasis, bringing state-reported totals for all 50 states to at least 21,775 cases. The Michigan and Ohio case counts are part of an earlier-identified, nine-state outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from Mexico, which was supplied by Taylor Farms to restaurant and retail outlets including Taco Bell and Walmart.
As of July 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases of domestically acquired Cyclospora cayetanensis infection, with 423 hospitalizations, across 45 states. The two deaths reported in Michigan have not yet been added to the CDC website.
State public health officials are reporting cases much more rapidly—with significantly higher case counts—than CDC. This is because state counts include both probable and confirmed cases, and there is also a lag between the time a state receives notice of a case and when CDC confirms cases reported by states as domestically acquired and connected to the outbreak.
Congress, Consumers Question Government Oversight of Food Safety
Last week, U.S. Representative Robert Garcia demanded answers from Taylor Farms about its response to the ongoing Cyclospora outbreak, requesting documents related to the company's communications with federal agencies and internal discussions about the outbreak, as well as its food safety practices at its Mexico processing facilities.
In the wake of the massive Cyclospora outbreak—as well as other high-profile outbreaks and recalls, including a multistate Salmonella outbreak tied to eggs—a Quinnipiac University poll of U.S. voters conducted in the last week of July found that a majority (55 percent) of respondents have little or no confidence in government oversight of food safety in the U.S.
When asked about the Cyclospora outbreak at a July 21 media briefing on health care fraud, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. responded that the outbreak was "under control." As of August 3, the White House has not issued an official statement on the outbreak.
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Update, August 4, 2026: According to a report by NBC affiliate KCRA 3 in Sacramento, California, total reported state and local cases of cyclosporiasis have surpassed 22,140, with 308 hospitalizations, as of August 4.
Update, August 5, 2026: CDC has updated its total laboratory-confirmed case count of cyclosporiasis in the U.S. to 10,468 illnesses and 517 hospitalizations, as of August 3. CDC has also updated the number of states reporting cases to 47. The agency noted on August 4 that an additional 12,255 cases require further analysis and have not yet been laboratory confirmed or determined to be part of the U.S. domestic outbreak.
Additionally, CDC has expanded its list of states specifically associated with the Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce outbreak to 15, up from nine, and is reporting 6,358 illnesses, 278 hospitalizations, and two deaths associated with this outbreak. Affected states now include Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
Update, August 12, 2026: CDC has updated its total laboratory-confirmed case count of cyclosporiasis in the U.S. to 13,895 illnesses, 740 hospitalizations, and two deaths in 47 states. CDC is aware of at least 10,455 additional cases of cyclosporiasis that are not laboratory-confirmed or require further investigation to determine whether they were somestically acquired. Many of the additional cases continue to be reported by Michigan, which, as of August 6, reports 12,485 cases and 279 hospitalizations.
Update, August 13, 2026: According to FDA, the number of cyclosporiasis cases linked to Taylor Farms lettuce is 9,481 in 17 states. Since the last update, two additional states have been added: Maine and Massachusetts.
FDA has also initiated an onsite inspection and sampling at Taylor Farms of Mexico in coordination with Mexican officials. The agency says it "remains confident that all recalled iceberg lettuce related to this specific Cyclospora outbreak is off the market."Update, August 20, 2026: Since May 1, 2026, CDC has received reports of 15,716 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis acquired in the United States. For comparison, 1,180 cases were reported in the United States between May 1 and August 31, 2025. At least 11,841 additional cases of cyclosporiasis may require further investigation and analysis. The Taylor Farms lettuce outbreak has contributed significantly to the increase of Cyclospora cases in 2026, but CDC has not updated its official outbreak-specific case count since August 13.
Update, August 21, 2026: The total case count associated with the multistate lettuce outbreak is now 10,930 illnesses reported from 17 states.
