A disease linked to contaminated lettuce in some areas has reached 41 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on July 21.
More than 4,100 cases of Cyclosporiasis, a disease caused by a parasite present in produce and water with feces, have been reported in the United States and acquired domestically since May 1, the CDC said in its latest update.
Forty-one states have reported cases, up from 34 four days prior. Alabama, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Wyoming are the states reporting cases for the first time this summer.
Of the 4,173 patients, 308 have been hospitalized. No deaths have been recorded.
The patients ranged in age from 2 to 95, 56 percent were female, and the median illness onset date was June 26.
Thousands of other cases have been reported by states, primarily Michigan and Ohio, but have not yet been confirmed through laboratory testing, according to the CDC.
Michigan authorities on July 21 reported 6,571 cases, including 102 hospitalizations, and the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department in Ohio on Tuesday reported 2,149 cases.
Cyclosporiasis cases happen each summer, but the number this year is far higher than usual. Symptoms include watery, loose diarrhea and fatigue.
An investigation into the spike yielded evidence that shredded lettuce from Taylor Farms, a California-based supplier, and served at Taco Bell caused some of the illnesses in five states—Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia—officials have said.
Taylor Farms recalled iceberg lettuce from Mexico after the identification.
A sign at a Taylor Farms facility in Salinas, Calif., on July 17, 2026. (Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)
“During a quality check by our laboratory personnel, we did detect the false positive, and we did issue a correction,” Donald Prater, the Food and Drug Administration’s acting deputy commissioner for food, told reporters on a call.
“It’s important to note that the re-evaluation of the sample does not alter the data supporting the outbreak advisory that prompted the current voluntary recall. FDA’s traceback investigation and the outbreak data continue to converge on shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms location in central Mexico.”
Taylor Farms said in a July 20 statement that no Taylor Farms-branded products are involved in the recall, that the company will not source iceberg lettuce from central Mexico “for the remainder of the growing season,” and that the company is working with health officials during the ongoing investigation into the outbreak.