Overview
- Michigan health officials reported 11,508 cases and said two people with serious underlying conditions died in the outbreak, with 193 hospitalizations reported through July 30, according to state updates on Tuesday.
- An FDA traceback has epidemiologically linked a large multistate cluster to shredded or iceberg lettuce sourced from Taylor Farms de Mexico and served at some Taco Bell locations, and Taylor Farms voluntarily pulled the product on July 17.
- Federal counts lag state reports: the CDC has thousands of lab-confirmed infections but, as of its late July update, listed far fewer confirmed cases than some states while noting more than 11,500 additional suspected or unconfirmed illnesses.
- Investigators face biological and testing hurdles because Cyclospora cannot be readily cultured, yields limited genetic material for fingerprinting, and has a long incubation period, which complicates definitive product-level confirmation and traceback.
- Public health officials urge continued consumption of fresh produce with precautions such as discarding outer leaves, washing produce under running water, and cooking leafy greens when possible, while investigators pursue other supply‑chain sources and testing.