Cyclospora Outbreak Linked to Iceberg Lettuce

For Everyone

Outbreak investigation summary

CDC, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began investigating a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora  infections in July 2026.

The investigation linked the outbreak to processed iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico that was contaminated with Cyclospora. On July 17, 2026, Taylor Farms de Mexico  recalled  all iceberg lettuces sourced from central Mexico.

As of September 11, 2026

This is CDC’s final update to this food safety alert. At this time, there is no risk of people getting sick with cyclosporiasis from this source. The best-by dates for all product linked to this outbreak have passed and it is no longer available in stores or restaurants.

In addition, CDC has seen a significant decrease in recent infections linked to this outbreak. At the peak of the outbreak, before the recall, more than 1,000 infections occurred in a single day. Fewer than 2 infections per day on average occurred in August.

FDA continues to investigate how the product linked to this multistate outbreak became contaminated with Cyclospora. FDA may post updates to their website while their investigation continues.

What you should do

  • Wash your hands and any fresh produce thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking.
  • Cooking can kill the parasite. Since washing alone cannot guarantee Cyclospora removal, you can cook produce to a temperature of at least 158 °F (70°C).
  • Learn which foods are more likely to contain the parasite Cyclospora and ways to prevent getting cyclosporiasis.
  • Stay up to date on food recalls and outbreaks.

Symptoms

People begin to experience symptoms of cyclosporiasis about one week (ranging as soon as 2 days to 2 weeks or more) after eating food or drinking water containing Cyclospora.

Common symptoms

Watery diarrhea

Loss of appetite

Weight loss

Cramping

Bloating

Increased gas

Nausea

Fatigue

Content Source
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)
About This Page
Published: July 14, 2026
Updated: September 11, 2026

This page was last updated on this date. Updates may include minor edits, image changes, or other modifications to page content.

Reviewed: September 11, 2026

The information on this page was last reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy.