Overview
- The CDC announced on Sept. 11 that the multistate cluster tied to shredded iceberg lettuce is over after 12,883 confirmed outbreak-linked cases, 570 hospitalizations and two deaths across 21 states.
- Federal traceback tied the main cluster to shredded iceberg lettuce processed by Taylor Farms de Mexico and the company began a voluntary recall in mid‑July that major retailers and restaurant chains removed from sale.
- The FDA completed on‑site inspections at growers and the Doctor Mora processing facility in central Mexico but said samples collected there remain under laboratory analysis and the broader investigation is ongoing.
- Health officials warn that Cyclospora’s long incubation and specialist testing create weeks‑long reporting lags so federal totals for the 2026 season — about 19,595 lab‑confirmed cases since May 1 — may still rise.
- The outbreak has focused attention on gaps in U.S. food‑safety capacity, including fewer international inspections and reduced public‑health staffing, and it has caused economic losses, lawsuits and heavy impacts in hard‑hit states such as Michigan.