Cyclospora still making its way through the US. And it’s not alone.
As cyclosporiasis continues to spread across several states, there are also new pathogens on the block. Northeastern University experts weigh in on why some outbreaks are so hard to stop and how you can stay safe.
First cilantro. Then lettuce. The tainted produce lineup grows as the Cyclospora saga continues, and now the crisis has expanded into a multi-front war.
A second independent outbreak has emerged. Plus, the parasite itself is no longer flying solo, as several suspected bacterial pathogens are also wreaking havoc on the U.S. food supply.
The current outbreak list compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now includes Campylobacter, E. coli (hiding in frozen blueberries), Listeria (lurking in soft cheese) and Salmonella (tainting cantaloupe and some capsules of Moringa, an herbal supplement). All four are strains of single-celled bacteria known to cause diarrhea.
Meanwhile, on the Cyclospora front, there’s a new development. The CDC has pinned down a second source of contamination that has affected at least 72 people from June 22 through July 20.
This second wave follows the original outbreak earlier this summer that put Taylor Farms, the largest producer of fresh-cut vegetables and salad products in North America, in the hot seat as the potential source of Cyclospora contamination. As of July 24, the tainted lettuce had made its way through 27 states and caused 1,947 illnesses in nine of them, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC investigation update. Many stores and several Taco Bell locations came under fire, pounds of produce got recalled and the investigation remains ongoing.
All in all, the CDC reported 4,173 laboratory-confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis and 7,400 possible ones since May 1, 2026. These figures include the cluster of cases associated with Taylor Farms, those linked to the second source as well as ones not yet associated with a known origin.
Hours of investigations later, the picture has only gotten murkier. The food in fridges and grocery carts across the country is caught in the middle. What’s actually safe to eat? And why is it taking so long to sort out the mess?
Northeastern Global News talked to Northeastern School of Business professor Nada Sanders, professor of the practice in health and computer sciences Samuel Scarpino, and Bouvé College of Health Sciences teaching professor and undergraduate program director Samantha Garbers, in addition to other experts to learn more.
Here are five takeaways they offered about why this outbreak is still going strong.
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1. Cyclospora always has a head start.
Out of all the foodborne pathogens, “Cyclospora is the hardest to trace,” Scarpino said. That’s part of the reason the outbreaks are so difficult to untangle. Unlike bacteria, it hasn’t been genetically sequenced. That means it flies under the radar of scientists who can’t use its DNA as a footprint to track the spread of the disease, Scarpino explained.
To make matters worse, Cyclospora lays low for up to two weeks, said Ben Miller. He serves as chief operating officer and executive vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs at the Acheson Group, a global food safety consulting team.
A lot can happen to food in the 2-week period, which gives the parasite a huge head start in planting the seeds of future infection. That’s how it “hijacks the supply chain to cause illness,” Miller explained.
The other piece of the puzzle has to do with patients reporting the illness, Garbers added. Most times diarrhea — the hallmark symptom of cyclosporiasis — won’t send you rushing to your doctor. This means that many mild cases will go unreported, obscuring the true scale of the outbreak.
Moreover, those who do seek medical help may have been harboring the parasite in their body for up to two weeks by that point without feeling sick. Known as the incubation period, this window gives the pathogen time to reach symptom-causing numbers. The delay also makes it harder to trace the illness back to its source.
The 12-page questionnaire epidemiologists tracking the bug use to get patients to retrace their steps over two weeks doesn’t make things easier either, Garbers added. (Can you remember if you had pizza or pad Thai for lunch two weeks ago? Many might draw a blank.)
All in all, “there is a long delay between when a person eats contaminated food and when CDC confirms a new case associated with an outbreak,” said Sarah Sorscher, director of regulatory affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a food and nutrition advocacy organization. By then it’s much harder to contain.
2. Cyclospora isn’t acting alone.
As if one pathogen wasn’t enough, there are several sharing the spotlight with Cyclospora. Salmonella is the most infectious, Scarpino said. It only takes a small batch — as few as 10 to 100 cells — to get someone seriously sick.
Listeria, on the other hand, is the most resilient. It can survive in cold temperatures, tolerate salt and thrive where other bacteria fail according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
3. It’s not just the greens.
Garbers explained that lettuce is one of the prime suspects since the process of shredding, bagging and distributing it leaves plenty of opportunities for contamination.
However, it’s not the only one in the running.
Scarpino said “it could have been cilantro the whole time,” referring to the original produce in the hot seat. Or maybe both. Or another source altogether.
After all, Scarpino pointed out, food items are often mixed and “pulling apart what’s going on is sometimes impossible.” Broccoli, snow peas, cabbage, parsley and raspberries have also been implicated in the past, according to the CDC.
But experts aren’t suggesting you should stay away from the fresh food aisle altogether. Max Teplitski, executive at the International Fresh Produce Association, a global trade hub, said “outside of voluntary recalls, no public health agencies are recommending that people stop eating fruits and vegetables.”
That said, throw out Taylor Farms lettuce if you have it in your fridge, the CDC warns.
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4. With Cyclospora, just washing isn’t enough.
Good hygiene is a must, but no amount of rinsing-and-repeating your lettuce will get Cyclospora off. “You can’t really wash it off the food,” Scarpino said. Only cooking food at 158 degrees Fahrenheit will do the trick, Garbers explained. The same is true for Salmonella.
However, Scarpino pointed out that you’re probably not going to throw your salad or garnish into the oven the way you would meat and eggs that harbor Salmonella.
Another solution? Go local, Sanders suggested, urging people to choose food grown by local farmers who can guarantee that their produce is parasite-free.
5. It’s not all bad news.
The onslaught of pathogens seems like a sinister pattern. However, Scarpino said that it could simply be “bad luck.”
There’s “a little bit of ascertainment bias,” he suggested, explaining that after the first big Cyclospora outbreak shot into the headlines, the smaller ones were suddenly in the spotlight as well.
There’s even a bit of a silver lining in the situation, he said, pointing out that with the spotlight on food-borne illnesses, people are being more careful.
Besides, the “math is on your side” when it comes to the odds of beating the infection, Scarpino said. Garbers pointed out that luckily, there haven’t been any deaths yet, and medication is available for those who need it.
Even so, “most folks will recover without treatment,” she said.
