U.S. Ends Record Cyclospora Outbreak, Origin Still Unknown — SkimNews
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- FDA declared the largest cyclospora food poisoning outbreak in U.S. history over on Friday and said all recalled iceberg lettuce tied to the outbreak is off the market.
- The outbreak sickened nearly 13,000 people across 21 states, with Michigan recording the most cases and the only two U.S. deaths.
- Taylor Farms recalled iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico after investigators traced contamination to its facility; products had been shipped to chains including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC.
- FDA ended on-site inspections and sample collection at Mexican iceberg lettuce growers and processing facilities, though samples from those inspections remain pending analysis.
- U.S. health officials have received reports of nearly 20,000 lab-confirmed cyclospora cases since May 1—more than 16 times the number reported during the same period last year.
- The outbreak's origin remains unknown: investigators have not determined how human fecal contamination could have reached enough food to sicken so many people, per the source.
Why it matters: The FDA closed out its investigation without identifying how contamination occurred, leaving the supply chain gap behind the largest cyclospora outbreak in U.S. history unresolved. With nearly 20,000 cases logged since May—more than 16 times last year's total—the unanswered origin leaves thousands of cases unlinked and occurs as the source notes regulators are conducting fewer international inspections to catch contaminated produce at the border.
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