U.S. health authorities on Friday declared the nation's largest recorded multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak over, after contaminated iceberg lettuce sickened thousands, though the FDA said it was still probing how the parasite entered the food supply.
The outbreak, which federal investigators linked to lettuce from central Mexico sourced by Taylor Farms, prompted one of the largest food recalls in recent years and renewed scrutiny of food-safety controls for imported produce.
It also rattled consumer confidence, with some shoppers avoiding raw fruits and vegetables as well as dining out, hurting foot traffic at restaurants such as Taco Bell (YUM.N), Sweetgreen (SG.N) and Chipotle (CMG.N).
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12,883 people across 21 states fell ill after consuming contaminated lettuce.
The outbreak resulted in 570 hospitalizations and two deaths, and accounted for more than half of the 19,595 laboratory-confirmed U.S. cyclosporiasis cases reported since May 1.
At the peak of the outbreak, before the recall, more than 1,000 infections were reported in a single day. In August, the CDC said, infections had fallen to fewer than two per day on average.
"I don't think that we have the necessary tools and technologies to stop outbreaks like this in the future," said Donald Schaffner, professor and extension specialist in food science at Rutgers University.
Schaffner called for better strain-tracking tools and sustained funding for parasite research to prevent such outbreaks.
State-wise cyclosporiasis cases linked to lettuce
Michigan accounted for the highest number of reported Cyclospora cases
Note: CDC website data as of Sept.11
The FDA said on Friday it was confident that all recalled iceberg lettuce linked to the outbreak is off the market. The CDC said best-by dates for all products linked to the outbreak have passed, and the lettuce would no longer be available in stores or restaurants.
Taylor Farms recalled all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico on July 17.
The FDA also said it had completed on-site inspections and collected samples from lettuce farms and the processing facility in Mexico, with analysis pending, and will continue working with U.S., Mexican and state partners.
"Our facility in central Mexico remains closed while the investigations by the FDA, our team, and independent experts are being completed," a Taylor Farms spokesperson told Reuters.
Retailers Walmart (WMT.O), Whole Foods and restaurant chains Taco Bell (Yum Brands), Chipotle Mexican Grill and Sweetgreen did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. Target (TGT.N) declined to comment.
Michigan, the state hardest hit by the outbreak, reported more than 14,000 cases and two deaths linked to the parasite, according to federal and state health officials. Ohio and Missouri also saw thousands of infections tied to contaminated lettuce from Taylor Farms.
Unusually high case totals from Michigan were attributed to a large backlog of reports processed in August, highlighting the strain on a system weakened by federal funding cuts under the Trump administration.
Before 2026, the largest U.S. cyclosporiasis season on record was reported in 2019, when roughly 4,700 illnesses were documented nationwide.
Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole, Sneha S K and Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Diti Pujara and Alan Barona
