CDC Declares Cyclospora Outbreak Tied to Recalled Lettuce Over

(MENAFN) The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Friday that a nationwide Cyclospora outbreak linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce has run its course. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), however, said its probe into infections tied to lettuce imported from central Mexico — recalled by Taylor Farms de Mexico — will continue.

Per the CDC, there's no longer an active exposure risk, and all implicated lettuce is believed to be off store shelves, according to media. The FDA said it will keep coordinating with federal, state and international counterparts and pledged further updates as the investigation develops.

The outbreak's toll was severe: nearly 13,000 confirmed Cyclospora infections spread across 21 states, a major driver behind an outsized nationwide surge this year. More than 570 people were hospitalized, and two died. Since May 1, health agencies have logged almost 20,000 lab-confirmed cases nationally — over 16 times last year's total for the same stretch — plus roughly 6,100 suspected cases. Michigan bore the brunt, recording both the highest case count and both fatalities. Cyclospora, a microscopic intestinal parasite, causes cyclosporiasis, marked by watery diarrhea and sometimes frequent, severe bowel episodes, per CDC guidance.

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