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Michigan Epicenter of Large U.S. Cyclospora Outbreak

Federal and state investigators are tracing supply chains to determine whether lettuce or mixed salad greens caused the surge and to decide if targeted recalls or warnings are needed.

This undated photo taken through a microscope provided by the CDC shows Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts found in a fresh stool sample.
Image
A sign of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seen on a podium during the meeting of the members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 25, 2025.  REUTERS/Megan Varner/File Photo
Officials are zeroing in on lettuce as a possible source of a cyclosporiasis outbreak in Michigan.

Overview

  • Public health officials say the outbreak is active and growing with Michigan reporting more than 3,300 confirmed cases and the CDC listing 1,645 confirmed domestic cases with about 5,100 more under review as of mid‑July.
  • Michigan investigators, after more than 1,000 patient interviews, repeatedly identified lettuce or salad greens as a possible vehicle but they have not named a specific product, grower, supplier, or prompted a national recall.
  • The CDC and FDA are conducting traceback work and cluster investigations, including a multistate cluster of over 400 cases linked to Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia, while laboratory limits and slow reporting have delayed federal confirmation.
  • At least 141 people have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported; clinicians are urged to test for Cyclospora and treat confirmed cases with trimethoprim‑sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim).
  • Officials advise consumers to wash produce under running water, prefer whole heads of lettuce over prewashed bags, discard outer leaves, and cook greens when possible because the parasite is hard to remove and may resist routine disinfection.