Health · 47 states · ArchiveLargest US Cyclospora Outbreak Ever: 47 States Ill, Michigan Tops 10,000 CasesAired August 10, 2026 at 4:48 PM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00The United States is in the largest0:01Cyclospora [music]0:02outbreak ever recorded with tens of0:04thousands ill across 47 states.0:07Michigan is [music] the sharpest0:08epicenter with more than 10,000 cases of0:11cyclosporiasis and at least two deaths0:13since illnesses first began appearing0:14around [music] mid-May 2025. There is0:17still no scientifically identifiable0:19source for the outbreak, leaving0:21families without clear guidance on what0:22fresh produce to avoid while a parasite0:24that [music] causes prolonged intestinal0:26illness continues to spread through0:28produce eaten fresh. An early laboratory0:31signal pointing to iceberg [music]0:32lettuce from Taylor Farms was later0:33called a false positive by the Food and0:35Drug Administration,0:36>> [music]0:36>> erasing the only flagged batch and0:38resetting the investigation after tens0:40of thousands had already [music] fallen0:41ill. That reversal exposes how fragile0:44traceability is when shelf life is short0:46and supply chains move fast. Identifying0:48an infected batch could still take0:50[music] weeks, extending the window in0:52which contaminated product cannot be0:53isolated. The uncertainty has already0:56carried [music] into markets with stock0:57prices dropping for Yum Brands, the0:59parent company of Taco Bell, as well as1:02Sweetgreen and Cava on news of the1:03outbreak. With no source identified and1:06weeks before a batch might be found, the1:08largest Cyclospora outbreak on record1:10continues to expand without a target for1:12recall or prevention.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗