US declares end of largest recorded cyclosporiasis outbreak | Food News
CDC Declares Largest Cyclosporiasis Outbreak in U.S. History Over After Nearly 13,000 Cases
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Friday that the largest recorded outbreak of cyclosporiasis in the United States has officially concluded. The outbreak, linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce, affected nearly 13,000 individuals across 21 states.
According to CDC reports, a total of 12,883 cases have been documented, resulting in 570 hospitalizations and two fatalities. Symptoms of cyclosporiasis typically manifest about a week after consuming contaminated food or water, but they can also appear as early as two days or as late as two weeks after exposure. The most common symptom is watery diarrhea, alongside potential side effects that include appetite loss, weight loss, stomach pain, bloating, gas, nausea, and fatigue.
Health officials traced the outbreak to iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico by Taylor Farms de Mexico, which issued a recall on July 17 for all iceberg lettuce from the region. The outbreak initially focused on lettuce served at Taco Bell locations, but investigations later confirmed that the implicated lettuce was distributed by Taylor Farms to various restaurants and retailers nationwide.
At the height of the outbreak, more than 1,000 new infections were reported in a single day. However, by August, the CDC noted that reported infections had decreased to an average of fewer than two cases per day.
This outbreak coincided with a broader surge of cyclosporiasis cases across the country in 2023, with nearly 20,000 laboratory-confirmed cases reported since May 1—more than 16 times the number during the same period last year. In comparison, 2019 marked the previous record year for reported illnesses, with approximately 4,700 cases.
Michigan was the hardest-hit state during this outbreak and accounted for both deaths.
The incident has raised concerns over food safety protocols in the United States and the effectiveness of measures to identify contaminated produce before it reaches consumers. Inspections of foreign food facilities by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have substantially declined in recent years. Although the FDA is tasked with inspecting over 19,000 international food sites annually, fewer than 1,700 inspections were conducted in 2019, representing less than one-tenth of the target set.
The FDA did not inspect the Mexican farm associated with the outbreak until approximately a month after the investigation initiated. Additionally, the previous administration diminished the FoodNet program, which previously mandated tracking of Cyclospora and five other pathogens. A rule established under the Food Safety Modernization Act aimed at improving traceability of high-risk foods, including leafy greens, has been postponed until 2028.
Currently, the FDA has completed inspections and collected samples from iceberg lettuce farms and a processing facility in Mexico. However, laboratory analyses of those samples remain pending. The agency stated that it will continue to collaborate with Mexican state and federal officials to investigate the outbreak further.
