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Cyclospora Outbreak Sickens Thousands Across U.S. With No Confirmed Source

Investigators are tracing fresh produce and restaurant supply chains as testing backlogs and a 2025 surveillance change have slowed source confirmation.

Overview

  • Federal tallies show roughly 1,600 laboratory‑confirmed cases with thousands more suspected, while Michigan reports several thousand illnesses and is the hardest hit.
  • State and federal teams are focused on fresh produce—notably lettuce and mixed salad greens—and have opened supply‑chain tracebacks across distributors and restaurants.
  • Officials are reviewing possible links to some Taco Bell outlets that temporarily removed fresh toppings, but no product, grower, supplier, or restaurant has been confirmed as the source.
  • Public‑health response is hampered by diagnostic gaps because routine stool panels often omit Cyclospora, lab backlogs slow confirmation, and the 2025 FoodNet change reduced federal active tracking of the parasite.
  • Health advice stresses thorough handwashing, washing or cooking at‑risk produce, prompt testing for people with persistent diarrhea, and that infections are treated with specific antibiotics for those who need them.