Health officials are investigating a second, distinct outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness caused by a parasite, with 72 identified cases. This new cluster is separate from the ongoing, larger outbreak that has affected thousands across the U.S.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the new investigation, providing no further details on the specific source or geographic location of these additional cases. The agency is already examining a major cyclosporiasis outbreak, which has seen over 11,000 suspected cases reported in 41 states since May.
In the larger outbreak, cases have been potentially linked to Taylor Farms lettuce supplied to Taco Bell. This has led to a recall of lettuce from Taylor Farms and a temporary shutdown of the company's processing facility in Central Mexico. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated on Tuesday that this larger outbreak was "under control."
Cyclosporiasis is transmitted through food or water contaminated with human feces and is characterized by symptoms such as stomach cramps, watery and explosive diarrhea, and fever. The parasite typically becomes infectious one to two weeks after passing into the environment, making direct person-to-person spread unlikely, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC has recorded nearly 11,000 suspected or confirmed cases of the infection nationwide this year, the highest number since 2019. Of these, 4,100 cases have been confirmed, with an additional 7,400 under investigation. The outbreak has resulted in 308 hospitalizations, but no deaths have been reported.
Michigan has the highest number of reported cases in the major outbreak, with up to 2,100, followed by Illinois, Kentucky, and Texas, each with up to 160 cases. Four additional states—Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania—have been added to the list of affected states, joining Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.
Health officials recommend thorough hand washing before food preparation and washing all fresh produce. For foods that can be cooked, they advise heating to at least 158°F (70°C) to kill the parasite, though washing is not always sufficient to remove it.
The FDA's website also indicates it is tracking two other cyclosporiasis outbreaks with 18 and 10 cases respectively, though no additional information has been provided for these. Food safety experts suggest that distinct outbreaks may be identified and reported separately if they are believed to stem from different common sources, even if they are not entirely unrelated to a larger ongoing event.