FDA traces nearly 13,000-person outbreak to Mexican lettuce farm
13,000-person cyclospora outbreak traced to Mexican farm and declared resolved.
Event / Health
US Cyclospora Outbreak 2024
Largest cyclospora outbreak in US history affecting nearly 13,000 people across 21 states, linked to contaminated lettuce from Taylor Farms facility in Mexico, resulting in 570 hospitalizations and 2 deaths.
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2026-10-03 to 2026-10-31 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 3 Oct, 10:17 UTC
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What happened
Taylor Farms blamed contamination on independent supplier
Taylor Farms attributed the cyclospora contamination cited by the FDA to an independent grower who is no longer part of the company's supplier program. The company stated its central Mexico facility remains closed as it works with its research team to implement enhanced safety protocols from field to facility.
CDC declares end to cyclospora outbreak
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared an end to the multi-state cyclospora outbreak less than a month before the FDA's announcement of cyclospora detection at the Mexican farm.
FDA detects cyclospora at Mexican lettuce farm linked to outbreak
FDA inspectors detected cyclospora parasite at Taylor Farms facility in Guanajuato, Mexico, in a wastewater tank and drainage ditch used for lettuce cultivation. The farm was blamed for the largest cyclospora outbreak in U.S. history. The FDA stated the samples provide strong epidemiological data linking the outbreak to the facility, though the agency said it remains unclear how the parasite contaminated the lettuce.
Cyclospora outbreak across U.S. infected nearly 13,000 people
A multi-state cyclospora outbreak infected approximately 13,000 people across 21 states, resulting in 570 hospitalizations and 2 deaths. The outbreak was linked to contaminated lettuce from Taylor Farms' Mexican facility. Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that causes cyclosporiasis, characterized by watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, bloating, and increased digestive gas.
FDA investigation of outbreak farm closed
The FDA closed its investigation into the cyclospora outbreak. The agency conducted its inspection visit to the Mexican farm more than six weeks before announcing the findings. This was the FDA's first inspection at the facility in more than seven years, following a significant reduction in international food safety inspections after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mexico's food safety authority found no cyclospora at farm
Mexican food safety authority regulators conducted their own investigation and announced they did not detect cyclospora in the lettuce or water at Taylor Farms facility, contradicting FDA findings. This conclusion came days after the FDA retracted a faulty test result that had incorrectly identified cyclospora in a lettuce sample collected at the border.
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