U.S. health authorities have declared an end to the country’s largest recorded multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis, which was linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce.
The outbreak affected 12,883 people across 21 states, resulting in 570 hospitalisations and two deaths, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC said federal investigators linked the contaminated lettuce to produce from Taylor Farms, but the affected products are no longer available in stores or restaurants.
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The agency said recent infections associated with the outbreak had declined significantly and there was currently no risk of contracting cyclosporiasis from the lettuce linked to the outbreak.
It added that all affected products had passed their expiry dates and were no longer on the market.
The outbreak accounted for more than half of the 19,595 laboratory-confirmed cyclosporiasis cases reported in the U.S. since May 1, making 2026 the worst year on record for the parasite-borne illness.
Michigan was among the states hardest hit, with more than 14,000 cases and two deaths linked to the parasite, according to federal and state health officials.
Ohio and Missouri also recorded thousands of infections associated with the contaminated lettuce from Taylor Farms.
Reuters
