There are now over 11,500 cases of cyclosporiasis, the widespread parasite outbreak said to cause “explosive diarrhea,” across the majority of states in the United States.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been 4,173 laboratory-confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis identified since May 1, but the federal agency is “aware of more than 7,400 additional cases that are not yet laboratory confirmed and require further investigation and analysis.” This brings the grand total of cases to 11,537. However, the CDC notes that it does not include “probable” cases in its data, meaning the number could be higher which explains discrepancies between state data and the CDC’s tracking.

From May 1 – July 20, 2026, 41 states have reported cases of the parasite-induced illness, and there have been 308 hospitalizations. Michigan stands as the state reporting the most cases. Ohio appears to stand as a top state reporting the parasite as well.

The CDC emphasizes that “true number of people sick with cyclosporiasis was likely higher than the number reported” as many individuals recover on their own and do not get formally tested to confirm the illness.

While federal agencies have been working to identify the prime source of the outbreak, Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled iceberg lettuce from Mexico amid the confusion. This lettuce is supplied to restaurants and stores and made sense as many attributed the onset of their illness to eating fast food such as Taco Bell. Earlier this month, the fast food chain pulled certain items from menus in some locations due to the outbreak. Items included lettuce, cilantro, onion, pico de gallo, and guacamole.

Taylor Farms said in a July 19 press release that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) apologized to Taylor Farms for blaming the outbreak on the iceberg lettuce supplied from Mexico, asserting that it was based on “false positive” test results. It still urged individuals to avoid the product while it continues the investigation into the source of the outbreak.

“To be clear, at this moment, FDA has not identified a single positive product test result for Cyclospora,” Taylor Farms said in the press release, continuing:

Based on initial information provided by health officials, in an abundance of caution, we completed a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce from central Mexico. Recalled product was limited to iceberg lettuce grown and processed in central Mexico.

All other Taylor Farms products, including all Taylor Farms brand products available for purchase, are not involved in the recall.

Our thoughts remain with everyone who has fallen ill in this outbreak. We are committed to working with public health authorities as the ongoing outbreak investigation continues.

Taylor Farms also said it is “no longer sourcing iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico for the remainder of the growing season.”

As Breitbart News reported, individuals with cyclosporiasis experience the symptoms “about one week after becoming infected,” although it can happen a bit sooner or later. The most common symptom as “watery diarrhea,” as well as weight loss, loss of appetite, fatigue, cramping, bloating, increased gas, and overall nausea.