Cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce spreads to 15 states

The CDC announced that Cyclospora cases have been identified in fifteen states, up from nine, after adding Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Carolina to the list. The outbreak is linked to shredded iceberg lettuce cultivated in central Mexico and distributed by Taylor Farms, prompting a recall of the product. Earlier confusion over a positive test was clarified by the FDA, which reaffirmed the focus on the same lettuce source.

Experts highlighted the difficulty of tracking Cyclospora due to delayed symptom onset and limited laboratory capacity, compounded by public-health staffing cuts. Michigan alone has reported more than 12,000 cases, with two deaths among patients with serious underlying conditions. The FDA is monitoring five separate Cyclospora outbreaks, with the fifteen-state cluster representing the largest.