Michigan Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Tops 10K Cases

Michigan health officials have reported over 10,000 cases of cyclosporiasis as of July 30, marking one of the largest outbreaks in U.S. history. The state has seen a significant increase from previous counts, with all but a few counties affected and hospitalizations rising to 193. This outbreak, first identified in late June by local officials in Monroe County, has since spread across Southeast Michigan.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that cyclosporiasis causes symptoms such as watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, bloating, fatigue, body aches, headache or vomiting. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recommends that restaurants and commercial kitchens in Southeast Michigan take additional precautions with fresh produce.

Health officials have pointed to lettuce or salad greens as likely sources based on interviews conducted by the MDHHS. A source familiar with the investigation told CBS News that an FDA traceback identified Taylor Farms, based in Salinas, California, as a possible source. The company supplies Mexican-grown lettuce to Taco Bell locations in five states where sickened people had eaten.

The outbreak has particularly affected Wayne, Ingham, Oakland, Monroe and Washtenaw counties. Michigan typically sees around 50 cyclosporiasis cases annually. As of July 24, at least 41 states, including Illinois, New York, and Texas, have reported cases this year.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported on Sunday that a sample of lettuce from Taylor Farms that had tested positive for cyclospora was a false positive, leaving the investigation officially still open. Taco Bell has voluntarily removed the supplier's lettuce from its nationwide supply chain indefinitely. Taylor Farms was previously linked to an E. coli outbreak tied to onions from a Colorado facility, which briefly forced McDonald's to stop using onions on Quarter Pounders at some locations.

The CDC counts cases differently, with its numbers lagging behind Michigan's. The CDC says between May 1 and July 21 of 2026, there have been 4,173 laboratory-confirmed cases, and the agency is aware of 7,400 additional reports that are under investigation. 'Many of the additional cases have been reported by Michigan and Ohio,' the agency says.

A CBS News poll reported on July 26 that four in 10 Americans are buying or eating less produce because of the parasite. U.S. Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made his first public comment about the outbreak on July 21, declaring it under control and denying that cutbacks to monitoring activities have hurt U.S. food safety.