CDC says iceberg lettuce cyclosporiasis outbreak has ended

The cyclosporiasis outbreak over announcement applies to the multistate illness cluster tied to iceberg lettuce, not to every reported infection this season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that outbreak recently ended, while the Food and Drug Administration continues investigating its source.

For consumers, the immediate issue is that the recalled lettuce connected to this outbreak is no longer expected to be in stores or restaurants. The FDA said it was confident that all recalled iceberg lettuce related to the outbreak was off the market, according to CNN.

Why can cyclosporiasis cases still be reported after the outbreak ends?

Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal infection caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. The CDC says it can take about six weeks from the beginning of symptoms for case information to reach the agency. That reporting delay means infections acquired during the May 1 through August 31 season can still be added to the count after an outbreak is declared over.

The CDC stopped weekly updates as of Sept. 15 because recent infections had declined significantly. It plans to publish surveillance data periodically, and it says earlier cases may continue to be identified because this season brought an unprecedented number of reports.

The broader 2026 case count is not the outbreak total

As of Sept. 14, the CDC had received reports of 19,883 laboratory-confirmed U.S.-acquired cyclosporiasis cases with symptom onset during the 2026 season. That figure includes infections from the ended iceberg-lettuce outbreak as well as cases that were not linked to it.

The agency reported 1,064 hospitalizations and two deaths among those confirmed U.S.-acquired cases. Cases were reported in 49 states and the District of Columbia. The true number of infections is likely higher, the CDC said, because some people recover without medical care and are not tested.

The seasonal total should not be read as a final count for the lettuce-linked outbreak. Reports about that specific outbreak have cited differing case totals, while the CDC’s seasonal surveillance page combines linked and unlinked cases.

What remains under investigation

Reporting tied the ended outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and recalled by Taylor Farms de Mexico. CNN reported that FDA inspections and sample collection at growers and a processing facility in Mexico had concluded, with samples still pending analysis.

FDA’s investigation of the lettuce-linked outbreak remains open despite the end of the illnesses associated with it, CNN reported. Separately, the CDC says it and FDA are continuing to investigate multiple cyclosporiasis clusters. If investigators identify a source that requires public action, the CDC says it will issue an outbreak notice.

That distinction is the key status update: the particular lettuce-linked outbreak has ended, but public-health reporting and the work to determine how contamination occurred are continuing. The CDC’s seasonal case data will continue to change as delayed reports arrive.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.