US declares end of largest recorded cyclosporiasis outbreak

The FDA also said it had completed on-site inspections and collected samples from lettuce farms and the processing facility in Mexico, with analysis pending, and will continue working with US, Mexican and state partners.

Taylor Farms, retailers Walmart, Target, Whole Foods and restaurant chains Taco Bell, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Sweetgreen did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Michigan, the state hardest hit by the outbreak, reported over 14,000 cases and two deaths linked to the parasite, according to federal and state health officials. Ohio and Missouri also saw thousands of infections tied to contaminated lettuce from Taylor Farms.

Unusually high case totals from Michigan were attributed to a large backlog of reports processed in August, highlighting the strain on a system weakened by federal funding cuts under the Trump administration.

Before 2026, the largest US cyclosporiasis season on record was reported in 2019, when roughly 4,700 illnesses were documented nationwide.