FDA Ties Cyclospora Outbreak to Mexican Site, Ends Probe

A summer stomach bug that sickened thousands in the US has been traced back to a single source: shredded iceberg lettuce from a Taylor Farms de Mexico facility, regulators say. The FDA on Friday said it has wrapped its investigation into the multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak and found the cyclospora parasite in both a wastewater tank at the company's Mexican processing plant and a drainage ditch at a related lettuce farm, Reuters reports. The agency dispatched inspectors to the area in August, per the New York Times, a month after Taylor Farms recalled bags of lettuce distributed across the US.

Investigators couldn't pin down exactly how the contamination occurred, per Reuters, but the FDA said patient reports and supply-chain records strongly tie the recalled lettuce to the illnesses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has logged 19,883 lab-confirmed cases and two deaths linked to the parasite as of mid-September and declared the outbreak over on Sept. 11. With an eye on future growing seasons, the FDA rolled out a 10-point prevention plan that calls for stepped-up monitoring of high-risk produce, more engagement with growers, and a full outbreak report with recommendations ahead of 2027.