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Home » 2026 Cyclospora Outbreak Tracker: Taco Bell & Taylor Farms Lettuce, Cases, Deaths & What to Do

2026 Cyclospora Outbreak Tracker: Taco Bell & Taylor Farms Lettuce, Cases, Deaths & What to Do

Last updated: August 3, 2026. Figures below are as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and state health departments, and are updated as new information is confirmed.

A large, multi-state outbreak of Cyclospora (cyclosporiasis) has spread across the United States during the summer of 2026. Investigators have linked a nine-state cluster of the illnesses to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de México and served at Taco Bell, and the lettuce has been recalled. On August 3, 2026 the CDC reported the outbreak’s first two deaths, both in Michigan. This page is a running tracker of what is known — the case counts, the states affected, the recall, the state of the evidence, and what to do if you or a family member became ill. For our latest day-to-day reporting, see the recent coverage below.

Where the investigation stands — updated August 3, 2026

  • The CDC has reported two deaths. The agency says it is “aware of two cyclosporiasis-related deaths in people with underlying health conditions from Michigan as part of this outbreak,” and that it will update its outbreak figures to include them. The CDC’s structured case table still listed zero deaths at the time of that notice, so the count is in the process of catching up.
  • The recall is in effect. Taylor Farms de México recalled all iceberg lettuce harvested from a single farm in central Mexico, from both foodservice and retail, on July 17, 2026.
  • The lettuce is still the identified likely source. The FDA traced the lettuce served at Taco Bell back to that single central-Mexico farm, and investigators’ ingredient-level analysis found that 90% of interviewed patients reported eating iceberg lettuce.
  • The one positive lab test was withdrawn. On July 19 the FDA announced that a Cyclospora-positive sample — collected at the border — was a false positive that “does not represent true amplification,” and the FDA has said it does not change the investigation’s conclusions. No product sample has tested positive for Cyclospora. FDA testing continues.

In short: the case against the lettuce rests on traceback and patient interviews, not on a laboratory finding in the food. That is not unusual for this parasite — see why Cyclospora is so hard to detect in food.

The recall: what was pulled, and what to do

Taylor Farms de México recalled, on July 17, 2026, all iceberg lettuce harvested from the implicated central-Mexico farm. The recalled product was distributed to 28 states.

  • At retail, the brand is Marketside, sold at Walmart: Marketside Iceberg Salad in 12-ounce and 24-ounce bags, and Shredded Lettuce in 8-ounce and 16-ounce bags.
  • Best-if-used-by dates: July 18, 2026 through August 3, 2026.
  • Foodservice products are listed separately in the recall notice, linked from the FDA’s outbreak page.
  • States the recalled product reached: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The FDA notes distribution may have reached further.

If you have it: do not eat it. Throw it away (double-bag it so no one else eats it) or return it to the store for a refund. If you already ate it, watch for symptoms for the next two weeks — most people who get sick do so within a week.

2026 Cyclospora outbreak, by the numbers

The nine-state outbreak linked to the lettuce

  • At least 1,947 people infected with Cyclospora who reported eating at Taco Bell, across nine states: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Four of those states — Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania — were added in the CDC’s most recent update.
  • 98 hospitalizations.
  • Two deaths — both in Michigan, in people with underlying health conditions, which the CDC on August 3, 2026 described as “cyclosporiasis-related” and part of this outbreak. (The CDC’s structured count was still being updated from zero at that time.)
  • Illnesses began on June 22, 2026 and onset dates have continued through July 20, 2026, the most recent onset the CDC has reported.

Cyclospora nationwide in 2026 (all sources)

  • 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, plus more than 11,500 additional illnesses that are not yet laboratory confirmed or still require investigation — over 18,000 combined. The true number is far higher than the confirmed count.
  • 423 people hospitalized nationwide.
  • Illness onsets range from May 1 through July 25, 2026, with a median onset of July 2; patients range in age from 1 to 98.
  • The CDC says it is investigating multiple clusters and that some 2026 Cyclospora illnesses are not linked to the lettuce outbreak — more than one source is involved this season.

Sources: CDC outbreak investigation and Health Alert Network advisory, FDA, and state health departments, as of August 3, 2026. Confirmed counts lag real illness because Cyclospora requires a specific laboratory test that is not part of a standard stool panel — see what to do if you are sick.

Why a negative test doesn’t clear the lettuce

It is tempting to read “no positive sample” as “the food was fine.” With this parasite, that inference does not hold. Detecting Cyclospora in food is far harder than detecting bacteria:

  • The parasite is present in very small numbers, so samples have to be enormous to catch it.
  • Cyclospora cannot be grown in a lab — it needs a human host to reproduce, so scientists cannot culture it to confirm a find.
  • The oocysts lodge in crevices on the surface of produce and are difficult to wash off for testing.
  • Many detection methods cannot tell whether a recovered parasite was still capable of causing illness, and whole genome sequencing — the gold standard for bacteria — cannot currently be used on this parasite.

By the time an outbreak is recognized, the implicated food has usually been eaten or thrown out. That is why investigators lean on traceback records and patient interviews, which is exactly the evidence pointing at this lettuce. For more, see our explainer on why Cyclospora is so hard to kill and detect.

Two different numbers, and why the difference matters

Coverage of this outbreak has begun to mix two counts that measure different things, and the distinction decides whether someone was part of this outbreak at all.

  • Nine states, at least 1,947 illnesses. This is the outbreak the FDA and CDC have linked to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de México and served at Taco Bell locations. It is the outbreak with a traceback, a recall, and an identified supplier — and the outbreak the two deaths are attributed to.
  • More than 18,000 illnesses nationwide (6,707 laboratory-confirmed). This is the CDC’s count of all cyclosporiasis reported this season, from every source. The nine-state outbreak is a subset of it.

There is no single nationwide Cyclospora outbreak. Cyclosporiasis is seasonal and more than one contaminated product is usually circulating at once, which is why the CDC says it is investigating several clusters. We have already reported a separate one: a North Carolina outbreak linked to parsley and cilantro that state officials say does not appear associated with the Taco Bell outbreak. And the FDA’s CORE outbreak table has listed six separate Cyclospora investigations at once.

If you were sickened this summer, the practical consequence is that eating at Taco Bell is not the only way to have been exposed. The recalled lettuce also reached retail and foodservice customers, and other produce items are under investigation in their own clusters.

Timeline of the 2026 outbreak

Symptoms & what to do if you think you have Cyclospora

Cyclosporiasis characteristically causes watery diarrhea that comes and goes, often with loss of appetite, significant weight loss, cramping, bloating, nausea, and fatigue. Symptoms usually begin two days to two weeks after exposure. Untreated, they can last weeks to more than a month and may relapse — which is what sets it apart from most short-lived food poisoning.

  1. See a doctor and ask specifically for a Cyclospora test. Cyclospora is not found on a standard stool test; a lab must run a specific test (a special stain or molecular/PCR panel), and physicians often have to request it by name.
  2. The standard treatment is an antibiotic (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, sold as Bactrim or Septra). People with a sulfa allergy have limited alternatives. Follow the guidance of a licensed medical provider — this page is information, not medical advice. See the CDC’s Cyclospora overview.
  3. Naming the supplier does not narrow who may be responsible. Taylor Farms de México is the supplier the FDA’s traceback investigation converged on, and it is the primary target, but the restaurants and retailers that served or sold the contaminated lettuce are not cleared by that finding and can retain legal responsibility of their own. A cyclospora lawyer can work out which of those applies to you from your purchase and medical records.
  4. Preserve evidence if you may have a claim: keep your positive test result and medical records, receipts, loyalty-app purchase histories, and any leftover food packaging, and write down everywhere you ate in the two weeks before you got sick.
  5. Report your illness to your local or state health department — it helps investigators find the source.

Were you or a loved one seriously sickened — or did a family lose someone — in the 2026 Cyclospora outbreak?

Pritzker Hageman is a national food-safety law firm that represents people seriously sickened — and families of those who died — in foodborne-illness outbreaks like this one. Hundreds of millions recovered. No fee unless we win.

Talk to a Cyclospora lawyer — free case review ›

Our latest Cyclospora coverage

Frequently asked questions

Has anyone died in the 2026 Cyclospora outbreak?

Yes. On August 3, 2026 the CDC reported that it is aware of two cyclosporiasis-related deaths, both in Michigan and both in people with underlying health conditions, as part of this outbreak. The agency said it would update its published figures to include laboratory-confirmed cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Serious cyclosporiasis is uncommon in otherwise healthy adults, but the illness can be dangerous for the very young, the elderly, and people whose health is already compromised.

The FDA said the test was a false positive — does that mean the lettuce was safe?

No. It means no sample of the food has tested positive, which is different from the food being cleared. The link between this lettuce and the outbreak rests on the FDA’s traceback to a single central-Mexico farm and on patient interviews — including the finding that 90% of interviewed Taco Bell patrons ate iceberg lettuce. The recall remains in effect and the FDA is continuing to test. Cyclospora is notoriously difficult to detect in food, so a negative or withdrawn result is not evidence of safety.

Has the source of the 2026 outbreak been confirmed?

For the nine-state outbreak (Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia), investigators have identified iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell, grown by a single supplier in central Mexico and distributed by Taylor Farms de México, as the likely source — based on traceback and epidemiology rather than a positive product test. The CDC is still investigating other 2026 Cyclospora illnesses that do not appear to be linked to that lettuce.

Can I bring a claim if I was sickened after eating at Taco Bell?

Possibly. When a contaminated food is traced to a specific supplier and restaurant, people who were sickened may have a claim against the companies in the supply chain — and a positive test on the food is not required to bring one. A food-safety attorney can review your diagnosis and where you ate, for free, and tell you honestly whether you have a claim worth pursuing.

Does washing or freezing kill Cyclospora?

No. Rinsing produce does not reliably remove the Cyclospora parasite, and freezing does not kill it. Heat does — the parasite is destroyed at about 158°F. That is why outbreaks are traced to a contaminated supply rather than to home handling.

Is Cyclospora contagious from person to person?

No. Cyclospora is not spread directly from one person to another. After it is passed in stool it needs days to weeks in the environment to become infectious, so it spreads through contaminated food or water, not casual contact.

How long do I have to take legal action?

Deadlines (statutes of limitation) vary by state and by the facts of your case, so it is best not to wait. A food-safety attorney can review your situation for free and tell you honestly whether you have a claim worth pursuing.

Official sources