CDC updates cyclosporiasis tally to 4K+ confirmed cases
· UPIJuly 22 (UPI) -- On Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention increased its count of cyclosporiasis cases in the country, with the total jumping to more than 4,100 confirmed infections in 41 states since May 1.
This is more than double the cases of the intestinal illness that the CDC reported last week. It does not include more than 7,000 additional reported cases -- most in Michigan and Ohio -- that have not yet been confirmed by a laboratory. This is about 45% more than the previous count of suspected cases.
The number of confirmed cases included 308 hospitalizations. There have been no confirmed deaths. Confirmed cases alone have passed the 3,955 cyclosporiasis cases reported in all of 2025.
"We assume a six-week reporting lag between illness onset and case reporting to CDC, so we anticipate that case counts will continue to rise as data are received," the CDC report said.
State health departments in six states -- Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and New York -- have collectively reported more than 8,000 cases this summer. Michigan has been by far the state hardest hit, with 6,500 reported cases.
The CDC report also noted that the true number of people sick with cyclosporiasis is likely higher than the cases reported, as some people recover without medical care and are not tested.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, said the multi-state outbreak is "under control" despite the continued rise in cases, ABC News reported.
"We do have the outbreak under control," Kennedy said. "We have done extensive forensics, epidemiological forensics, and we've identified the source of the outbreak. We and the companies that are involved have implemented a recall."
This followed a series of rather confusing events over the past week in which health officials traced some cases to shredded iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell restaurants.
Taylor Farms supplied the lettuce, which was sourced from central Mexico. Taylor Farms de Mexico then issued a voluntary recall of all iceberg lettuce from central Mexico.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported this weekend that a sample of shredded iceberg lettuce provided by Taylor Farms -- which was not part of the recall -- had tested positive for the parasite that causes cyclosporiasis.
Soon afterward, however, the FDA said it had determined the result was a false positive. On Monday, acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas said at a press conference that this false positive did not change the FDA's findings that linked cases to Taylor Farms shredded lettuce.
The illness is caused by the cyclospora cayetanensis parasite and spreads through food or water contaminated by feces from an infected person.
In addition to the most well-known symptom of sudden, watery diarrhea, symptoms of cyclosporiasis include vomiting, nausea, severe stomach cramps, loss of appetite and fatigue. It can take up to two weeks after eating contaminated food for symptoms to show themselves.