CDC Expands Cyclospora Outbreak Tied to Taylor Farms Salad to 15 States

"Six states — Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Carolina — were added to the outbreak after CDC lab testing showed illnesses there were probably caused by the same strain of cyclospora parasite," according to the agency's update. The update did not specify how many new laboratory-confirmed cases were tied specifically to the six added states.

Background of the Outbreak

The outbreak, first reported in early July, has been traced to a bagged salad mix containing romaine and iceberg lettuce, carrots and red cabbage that was supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico to McDonald's restaurants. After the link was confirmed, McDonald's voluntarily pulled the affected salad product from approximately 3,000 of its locations in the affected states. Taylor Farms also halted shipments of the implicated mix while the investigation continued.

Health investigators said the contaminated mix was also distributed to several other restaurant chains, including KFC, Wendy's and Chick-fil-A locations that share distribution channels with the McDonald's supply chain. The CDC has urged consumers who purchased ready-to-eat packaged salads from affected retailers during the exposure window to discard the product, even if it had been opened or partially consumed, because cyclospora must be killed by heat and is not reliably destroyed by standard washing.

Dr. Juan Luis Marquez, a public-health official involved in the local response, told reporters earlier in the investigation that the parasite spreads through contaminated food or water and produces symptoms including watery diarrhea, bloating and fatigue that can last for weeks if untreated. The CDC has recommended that anyone experiencing those symptoms after eating packaged salads contact a health-care provider and request a stool test specific to cyclospora.

Symptoms and Medical Guidance

The most recent CDC case-count tally, posted before Tuesday's expansion, listed at least 436 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclospora infection across the original nine states. Of those, the agency said, at least 20 people had been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported in connection with the outbreak, the agency added.

Cases have been reported in Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Arkansas, according to the CDC's running tally. The exposure window stretches from late May through mid-July, and additional reports continue to be investigated.

Calls for Stronger Import Testing

Food-safety attorney Bill Marler, who has represented victims in past produce-linked outbreaks, said the multi-state spread underscored long-standing concerns about imported fresh produce and the difficulty of tracing contamination through complex supply chains. Marler has called for stricter import-testing requirements for leafy greens entering the United States from Mexico.

McDonald's said in a statement that it was cooperating fully with the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration and had switched suppliers for the affected salads. A spokesperson for Taylor Farms de Mexico did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the expanded case list.

Investigation Continues

The CDC said the investigation is ongoing and that additional states could be added as laboratory testing is completed. Officials urged restaurants and retailers to hold any remaining Taylor Farms de Mexico salad mix from the implicated production lots until the probe concludes.