More than 11,500 cases of intestinal illness linked to ice lettuce from Mexico, as FDA opens its sixth investigation this year while Health Secretary Kennedy claims the situation is 'under control'.
The United States is facing the largest recorded outbreak of cyclosporiasis in its history: the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed over 11,500 cases in 41 states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opened its sixth investigation this year on Friday, this time with 72 newly discovered cases. According to Reuters reporting on July 24, 2026, the outbreak has spread to an additional four states.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal disease caused by the parasite Cyclospora, which is ingested through consumption of contaminated food or water. Symptoms include severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and fatigue, and can appear weeks after infection, making it difficult for investigators to trace the source. There is an antibiotic that can alleviate symptoms, but the illness can last for weeks. The investigation has so far focused on shredded iceberg lettuce originating from central Mexico, and Taylor Farms, one of the largest U.S. food suppliers, voluntarily recalled all iceberg lettuce from that region.
The investigation took an unusual turn last week: on Saturday, the FDA announced that a sample of Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce tested positive for Cyclospora, but within 24 hours it retracted that statement, calling it a false positive result. Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, told the BBC that false positive results themselves are not unusual, but that it is unusual to publicly announce them. "We're dealing with a pathogen that is very difficult to work with in the laboratory," Diez-Gonzalez said. "In this case, finding a few Cyclospora cysts in a lettuce sample is literally like looking for a needle in a haystack." He added that such results typically undergo multiple rounds of testing before being published, and questioned "whether they had enough evidence to actually go public."
According to CDC data, 4,173 cases have been confirmed so far, with another 7,400 under investigation as probable cases, bringing the total reported to over 11,500. A total of 308 people have been hospitalized, with no fatalities. Michigan reports the highest number of cases nationwide, over 7,000, with the rural Monroe County (population approximately 154,000) particularly affected, documenting 286 infections. This year's figure far exceeds the typical annual average of 2,000 to 5,000 cases, according to CDC data cited by Ars Technica.
Residents in affected areas describe harsh daily living conditions. Nick Palmiter, a 29-year-old from Monroe County, told the BBC that in early July he was using the bathroom "at least 15 to 20 times a day" and that the feeling was "almost like having a balloon in your stomach." Brian Clare, a 52-year-old farmer from the same county who believes he was infected although not officially diagnosed, said this is "the most painful thing I've ever been through in my life" and that he has to keep rolls of toilet paper on his tractor. "When you think you have to go, you have less than two minutes. It comes no matter what," Clare told the BBC.
The outbreak has sparked widespread panic. Chains like Walmart, Jack in the Box, and Taco Bell pulled food from shelves "as a precaution," but the official source of the contamination has not yet been confirmed. Michelle Palmiter, mother of infected Nick, told the BBC that they "don't believe anything they're putting out about it," adding that she sees "a lot of people in a panic." Her niece threw out all the vegetables and fruit from her fridge, including a watermelon. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated on Tuesday that cyclosporiasis is "under control," but on the same day the CDC reported the highest daily number to date: 4,173 confirmed cases and 7,400 under investigation. The FDA had not commented by the time of the BBC article's conclusion.
