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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on Tuesday that the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak in the U.S. is “under control,” citing a federal investigation he said had identified the outbreak’s source and prompted a large-scale lettuce recall.
Surveillance data shows the outbreak as the largest in the U.S. on record, and it remains unclear whether case numbers are trending downward. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the major outbreak tied to Taco Bell lettuce has resulted in at least 1,644 cases in five states, and at least 94 hospitalizations. The data was last updated on July 18.
State-level data is much higher. For example, on Wednesday, Michigan updated its cyclospora case count to 7,171, an increase of roughly 600 new cases over the day before. At least 102 people in Michigan have been hospitalized.
Cases are rising in other states as well. On Tuesday, the Oklahoma State Department of Health said its cyclospora cases rose to 172 confirmed and probable cases, up from 56 the week before, with 12 reported hospitalizations.
Despite the recalled item being removed from shelves, experts told Newsweek that the outbreak could persist into August as cyclospora symptoms can take up to two weeks to appear.
“The Trump Administration has mounted a robust response to this outbreak, working closely with health departments in all 50 states and leading the public health response by promptly identifying known sources and providing Americans with the information they need to protect themselves,” HHS senior press secretary Emily Hilliard told Newsweek. “FDA’s investigation is ongoing. Additional implicated brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels may be identified as the investigation continues.”
What Is Cyclosporiasis?
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. Symptoms commonly include prolonged diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, bloating, nausea and fatigue. The illness, if untreated, can last anywhere from days to a month or longer.
Federal investigators have linked the multistate outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico that was being served at some Taco Bell locations, prompting a recall due to possible contamination.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also recently said a sample of shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms, which was not part of the recall, tested positive for the parasite. However, the agency later determined the result as a false positive. Taylor Farms issued a statement on Sunday that said, “We were informed that FDA made a mistake.”
On Tuesday, Mexican Health Minister David Kershenobich said no evidence suggests lettuce sourced from Mexico caused the cyclosporiasis outbreak in the United States.
“So far, no evidence has been found to indicate that it originated there,” Kershenobich said during a regular government news conference, adding, “However, we are taking all precautions in case that were the case.”
How Many Cases Tied to Cyclosporiasis Outbreak?
While CDC data shows that the July outbreak linked to Taco Bell lettuce has resulted in at least 1,644 cases, officials have also repeatedly cautioned that the true number of infections is likely much higher because many people recover without seeking medical care or are never tested for the parasite.
Where Have Cyclosporiasis Cases Been Reported?
According to officials, the July outbreak has had confirmed cases in five states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
However, the FDA said in its recall notice on July 18 that shredded lettuce from Taylor Farms was distributed to the following states between June 29 and July 16: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
If the FDA’s ongoing investigation determines that the produce is the source of the outbreak, it means Americans in these states may also have been affected.
Recent CDC Cyclospora Surveillance
Outside the July outbreak, cases of cyclosporiasis have broken records this year. Since May 1, the CDC has logged more than 4,000 cases of cyclosporiasis across 41 states, with 308 hospitalizations.
CDC officials have also said the agency is aware of at least 7,400 additional cases reported by state and local health departments that have not yet been laboratory confirmed and require further investigation and analysis.
These reports significantly exceed the numbers of cases in previous years. According to CDC data up to 2023, 2018 previously had the highest number of cyclosporiasis cases at 1,367—followed by 2019 at 1,120. In 2018, there were 31 recorded outbreaks of cyclospora, while 2019 had 55.
Democrat Links Outbreak to Trump Admin Cuts
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, recently blamed the Trump administration’s 2025 cuts to the National Institutes of Health and FDA for the outbreak, saying there was a “direct correlation” between the two. She said many of the major staff layoffs across both agencies resulted in reductions of the personnel responsible for carrying out food inspections.
“We are seeing the largest outbreak that we’ve seen in years precisely because Trump and Elon gutted all of these people,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
The Trump administration also scaled back surveillance of cyclospora in 2025 while reducing a program that tracked food poisoning infections. The program, which had been in place for three decades, cut its required monitoring from eight pathogens down to two.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick, Shakeema Edwards, Sam Wilson.
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