Federal health officials have counted 740 hospitalizations and two deaths in the nationwide Cyclospora outbreak, and the traced lettuce cluster has grown to the point that it now accounts for most confirmed illnesses in the country. The national figures come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's national cyclosporiasis surveillance page, updated August 11 with data current through August 10.
That same update counted 13,895 laboratory confirmed infections acquired inside the United States since May 1. For comparison, 1,180 domestically acquired cases were reported nationally across the entire May through August season in 2025. At least 10,455 additional reports are not laboratory confirmed or still require investigation. Residents of 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have reported cases.
The practical question for households has changed. Earlier in the summer, the central worry was whether contaminated lettuce was still sitting in refrigerators. Federal regulators say that the product is gone. The newer and more personal question is whether a relative who has been sick for weeks was ever tested, and whether they need to be.
Hospitalizations Lag Behind the Illnesses That Caused Them
Hospitalization is usually recorded during case follow-up interviews, which makes it one of the last details to reach federal surveillance. CDC estimates roughly six weeks between illness onset and national case reporting, so a hospitalization count published in mid-August largely reflects people who became ill weeks earlier. The median illness onset date in the national dataset is July 7, with reported onsets ranging from May 1 to August 2.
Cyclosporiasis is rarely life-threatening in otherwise healthy adults. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, describing the two deaths recorded in that state, said both individuals had significant underlying health conditions that may have been affected by cyclosporiasis and dehydration, and noted that death from the infection is uncommon in the United States. Both became ill before the lettuce recall.
The illness is nonetheless a prolonged one. Untreated, the watery diarrhea can persist for a month or longer and can cycle through periods of apparent recovery followed by relapse. Dehydration is the most common reason patients end up in an emergency department.
Michigan and Ohio Have Stepped Back from Daily Updates
The two hardest hit states have reduced how often they publish new totals, citing a slowing pace of illness. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has reported 13,909 cases statewide, 314 hospitalizations as of August 13, and the outbreak's two deaths. Michigan's health department has also said new case reports and emergency department visits are declining, and it has returned residents to routine guidance for lettuce and salad greens. Ohio has reported more than 4,000 cases.
For families in those states, less frequent reporting does not mean the situation is resolved. It means the local picture will refresh more slowly at exactly the point when the national count is still filling in.
State totals also run higher than the federal count. CDC includes only cases meeting its formal reporting definition, while states may count probable illnesses as well, so a state dashboard and the national dashboard can describe the same outbreak with very different numbers without either being wrong.
The Lettuce Cluster Now Explains Most of the Total
CDC's separate multistate outbreak investigation has linked 9,481 laboratory confirmed illnesses across 17 states to iceberg lettuce processed by Taylor Farms de Mexico, with at least 398 hospitalizations and two Michigan deaths. Illness onsets in the cluster began June 14 and continued through August 3.
That cluster has expanded dramatically. When the recall was announced, investigators had linked 1,644 illnesses in five states to Taco Bell locations. The most recent investigation update shows the outbreak now includes people exposed to the same processor's lettuce sold or served at a range of locations, with Maine and Massachusetts added most recently. Compared against the national total of confirmed domestically acquired cases, the traced cluster now represents the majority rather than a small fraction, though the two counts carry different cutoff dates.
CDC is still investigating other clusters with no confirmed common food. Because whole genome sequencing is not available for this parasite, linking scattered cases to a single supplier is slower and less certain than it would be for Salmonella. CDC instead uses genetic testing targeting specific markers to group related cases.
The recalled product itself is no longer a live consumer risk. Best-by dates on the items in the Taylor Farms recall notice have passed, and the lettuce should not remain in stores or restaurants. The recalled lettuce had been distributed in at least 31 states, including to Taco Bell locations and Marketside brand products at select Walmart stores.
Prolonged Diarrhea Is the Signal Worth Acting On
CDC's health advisory to clinicians asks doctors to consider cyclosporiasis in patients with prolonged or watery diarrhea, especially lasting more than a few days, and to specifically request Cyclospora testing. Routine stool panels do not reliably detect the parasite, and standard ova and parasite examinations may miss it without special staining.
That instruction matters at the household level because it puts part of the burden on the patient. Someone who has been sick for three weeks and was told their stool test was negative may never have been tested for this organism at all. Asking the clinician directly whether Cyclospora testing was ordered is a reasonable and specific question.
Treatment is a course of prescription antibiotics. CDC notes that the true number of people sick is likely higher than the number reported, because some recover without ever seeking care. Cyclospora does not spread from person to person, so an infected household member poses no direct risk to the rest of the family, only a shared exposure history worth mentioning to a doctor.
The season officially closes August 31, but the reporting lag means confirmed totals will keep arriving into the fall. MedicalDaily previously reported on why national counts keep climbing after transmission slows, and that dynamic explains most of what readers will see over the next several weeks.
Anyone with ongoing diarrhea, significant weight loss, or signs of dehydration such as dizziness, very dark urine, or reduced urination should contact a clinician rather than wait for symptoms to resolve on their own.
Key Questions Answered
What is the newest confirmed national number? CDC reported 13,895 laboratory-confirmed domestically acquired cases, 740 hospitalizations, and two deaths, with data current through August 10 and published August 11.
Does a rising count mean people are still being exposed? Not necessarily. CDC estimates roughly six weeks between illness onset and national reporting, so many cases added now reflect illnesses that began weeks earlier.
Is the recalled lettuce still a risk? No. The best-by dates on the recalled Taylor Farms de Mexico iceberg lettuce have passed, and the product should no longer be in stores or restaurants.
How large is the lettuce-linked outbreak? CDC has linked 9,481 laboratory confirmed illnesses in 17 states to the recalled lettuce, with at least 398 hospitalizations and two deaths reported in Michigan.
What symptoms should prompt a call to a doctor? Watery diarrhea lasting more than a few days, especially if it improves and then returns, along with cramping, bloating, nausea, appetite loss, weight loss, or fatigue.
Why might a stool test have missed it? Standard stool panels do not reliably detect Cyclospora. Clinicians must specifically order Cyclospora testing or an ova and parasite exam with special staining.
When does the outbreak season end? CDC defines the cyclosporiasis season as May 1 through August 31, but confirmed case totals will continue to rise for weeks afterward because of reporting delays.
