A fast-growing Cyclospora outbreak has become the largest of its kind on record in the United States, and investigators are taking a hard look at lettuce, bagged salad greens, and at least one national restaurant chain. If you developed prolonged, watery diarrhea this summer after eating fresh produce or a restaurant salad, cyclosporiasis is worth asking your doctor about — and, if you were seriously harmed, it may be worth talking to a lawyer.
How big is the 2026 cyclospora outbreak?
As of mid-July 2026, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had received reports of at least 1,645 laboratory-confirmed, domestically acquired cases of cyclosporiasis across 34 states since May 1 — with more than 5,100 additional illnesses still under review by state and local health departments. Taken together, health officials estimate the true toll is approaching 7,000 cases, which already makes 2026 the worst year for reported cyclosporiasis in U.S. history, surpassing the previous record of roughly 4,700 cases set in 2019.
To put the surge in perspective, only 249 cases had been reported nationally by this same point last year. Of the confirmed patients, 141 (about 9%) have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. Patients have ranged in age from 2 to 95 years old, with a median age of 44.
Michigan has been hit hardest by far. The Michigan Department of Health & Human Services has reported more than 3,300 cases in the state alone — our colleagues at Pritzker Hageman are tracking it in detail in their report on the Michigan cyclospora outbreak. New York, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and North Carolina have also seen significant activity. Separately, the CDC has flagged a tightly linked multistate cluster of more than 400 cases in four states — Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky — that appears to share a common source.
What food is causing the outbreak?
Investigators have not confirmed a single source. That said, Michigan health officials — who have interviewed more than a thousand sick people — say lettuce and bagged salad greens are a likely vehicle, though other foods have not been ruled out. Produce from Taylor Farms has been named in connection with the investigation.
Federal and state officials are also investigating whether some illnesses are connected to Taco Bell restaurants, after a number of sick patients reported eating there before getting ill. Taco Bell has said public health officials have not confirmed a link to its food, and the company has voluntarily and temporarily removed some fresh produce from restaurants as a precaution while the investigation continues. No specific product, brand, or supplier has been officially identified as the cause.
Because a source has not been confirmed, no formal recall of a single product has been issued for this outbreak. Food Poisoning Bulletin is maintaining an updated 2026 cyclospora outbreak tracker as new information is released.
What is cyclospora, and why is it so hard to trace?
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite (Cyclospora cayetanensis) that causes an intestinal illness called cyclosporiasis. People get it by swallowing food or water that has been contaminated with feces — often through produce irrigated or washed with tainted water. Unlike many foodborne germs, the parasite generally needs days to weeks outside the body before it can infect someone, which is why cyclospora is almost never spread person-to-person and why outbreaks are notoriously difficult to trace back to a specific food. Pritzker Hageman’s food safety team explains the disease and the legal issues it raises in this overview of cyclosporiasis and cyclospora lawsuits.
Another complication: standard stool tests do not detect cyclospora unless a doctor specifically orders testing for it. That means many cases go undiagnosed, and the real number of people sickened in this outbreak is almost certainly higher than the official count. The CDC keeps general guidance on the illness on its cyclosporiasis information page.
Symptoms of cyclosporiasis
Symptoms usually begin about a week after exposure and can last for weeks — sometimes more than a month — often coming and going in waves. They include:
- Watery, sometimes explosive diarrhea
- Loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss
- Stomach cramps, bloating, and increased gas
- Nausea and fatigue
- Low-grade fever, body aches, and other flu-like symptoms in some cases
Cyclosporiasis does not resolve with typical over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medicine, and it can relapse if it isn’t treated. The usual treatment is a course of the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (sold as Bactrim or Septra). If you have had watery diarrhea that keeps returning — especially after eating salads or fresh produce this summer — ask your doctor specifically about a cyclospora test.
How to protect yourself
- Follow public-health updates and any recalls or warnings from the CDC and FDA, and pay attention to guidance from your state health department.
- Know that rinsing produce reduces but does not reliably remove cyclospora, so washing is not a guaranteed safeguard during an active outbreak.
- See a doctor if you have watery diarrhea lasting more than a few days, and specifically ask whether you should be tested for cyclospora.
- If you are diagnosed, keep records — your test results, receipts, and a list of what and where you ate — which can be important if the source is later identified.
Do you have a cyclospora case?
When an outbreak is tied to a specific food, grocery store, or restaurant, the people who were sickened may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other harm. Because cyclospora outbreaks so often trace back to a single contaminated product once investigators connect the dots, it is worth understanding your rights early — while evidence like receipts and medical records is still available.
The food safety attorneys at Pritzker Hageman have represented clients in nearly every major U.S. cyclospora outbreak of the last decade. Their national cyclospora legal team can explain, at no cost, whether you may have a claim, including whether you can sue a grocery store or restaurant for cyclospora. The firm’s Bad Bug Law Team has handled hundreds of cyclospora cases, and you can follow their ongoing cyclospora outbreak coverage and news for the latest developments.
This is a developing story, and the case counts above are expected to keep rising as more test results are confirmed. We will update this page as investigators learn more about the source.
