People shop at a grocery store in Manhattan, New York City, August 13, 2026.
Spencer Pratt | Getty Images
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday that the largest cystic disease outbreak in history in the United States is over.
The largest cluster has sickened 12,833 people in 21 states with food poisoning in recent months, according to the CDC. Health officials have linked the outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Mexico’s Taylor Farms.
This marks the worst cyclospora disease season in U.S. history, with a total of 19,595 infections caused by the parasite Cyclospora. Two deaths were recorded in the United States, both in Michigan, the epicenter of the outbreak.
The foodborne illness epidemic has sparked scrutiny of U.S. food safety procedures and corporate consolidation in the nation’s food supply, as well as U.S. Food and Drug Administration staffing and funding.
The outbreak also led to a decline in sales at restaurants that serve fresh lettuce, especially Taco Bell, which offered shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms, and lettuce sales at grocery stores also declined.
Cyclospora has been difficult for health authorities to track because of its long incubation period. It may take several weeks to trace the cause of the disease, after which time the produce involved may have spoiled.
Taylor Farms has recalled iceberg lettuce, including packages sold at grocery stores such as: walmartin July. Taco Bell also removed lettuce from its restaurants that same month.
