Health officials are investigating an outbreak of Cyclospora parasite illnesses that is tied to shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico that was served at Taco Bell.
The outbreak spreads across at least 5 states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. Officials are telling people in those states not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell while the investigation continues.
As of July 16, 2026, the FDA confirmed that 1,644 people were infected with Cyclospora after eating at Taco Bell. There have been 94 hospitalizations and no deaths. Illnesses started on dates ranging from May 13 to July 13, 2026.
Michigan analyzed the meals of 190 of the people who reported eating at Taco Bell and shared the findings with the CDC. According to the FDA, 90% of those interviewed reported eating iceberg lettuce.
The Taco Bell cases sit inside a much larger national surge. CDC surveillance reported roughly 7,000 cyclosporiasis illnesses across 34 states as of July 13, 2026, which includes about 1,645 lab-confirmed cases plus more than 5,100 additional cases still under analysis. At least 141 people were hospitalized.
The patients range in age from 2 to 95. The CDC says other cyclosporiasis illnesses around the country are separate from the Taco Bell outbreak.
State totals are running far higher than the CDC’s confirmed count, because states report both probable and confirmed cases. Michigan alone reported 4,312 cases and 102 hospitalizations by July 16, many times higher than what the state usually records in an entire year.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness spread by a microscopic parasite, Cyclospora cayetanensis. According to the CDC, symptoms usually begin about a week after someone swallows the parasite in contaminated food or water.
The most common sign is watery diarrhea, often along with loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating, increased gas, nausea, and fatigue. Some people also run a low-grade fever or feel flu-like symptoms.
The illness is easy to miss and hard to shake. Standard stool tests do not look for Cyclospora, so a provider has to order the test specifically. Without treatment, the CDC says symptoms can last from a few days to a month or longer. The symptoms sometimes seem go away, only to return later.
The FDA’s traceback investigation identified a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico used by the Taco Bell locations where people got sick. The agency has begun collecting product samples for testing and increased screening of imported lettuce tied to the outbreak. No recall has been issued yet.
The FDA has not publicly named the supplier. National outlets including CNN, The Washington Post, and CBS News have reported, citing people familiar with the investigation, that the supplier is Taylor Farms, a Salinas, California produce company.
In a public statement, Taylor Farms said no Taylor Farms branded salads or kits are associated with the outbreak and that none of its branded salad kits contain iceberg lettuce.
The company said Taylor Farms de Mexico is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, and described the FDA traceback as pointing to a specific independent farm representing less than 1% of the U.S. iceberg lettuce supply.
This is not the first time Taylor Farms has been connected to this parasite. In 2013, a bagged salad mix traced to a Taylor Farms de Mexico processing facility was linked to a cyclospora outbreak that sickened 631 people across 25 states, with many illnesses reported at Olive Garden and Red Lobster.
On July 17, 2026, the first lawsuit tied to this outbreak was filed in Mahoning County, Ohio, against Taco Bell and Taylor Farms, on behalf of a 27-year U.S. Army veteran.
According to the filing, the veteran bought Taco Supremes at a Youngstown, Ohio Taco Bell in mid-June, developed severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloating, nausea, dizziness, and a low-grade fever, and was hospitalized for 2 days before a lab confirmed a diagnosis of cyclosporiasis.
The FDA is advising people in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia not to eat food items with shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico that is served at Taco Bell.
The FDA also recommends that anyone with symptoms of cyclosporiasis should contact a health care provider, especially if they ate shredded iceberg lettuce in the two weeks before getting sick.
People who got sick may have legal options. A food poisoning attorney can advise people who tested positive for cyclospora after eating implicated lettuce about their rights.
Source: Investigation of 5-State Outbreak of Cyclospora Illnesses: Iceberg Lettuce (July 2026)