Federal health officials have declared the largest cyclospora outbreak ever recorded in the United States to be over, Politico reports. The parasite, which causes severe diarrhea, was linked to iceberg lettuce, according to ABC News. The announcement came Friday, September 11, 2026.
The CDC confirmed the end of the outbreak, CNBC reports. The BBC described cyclospora as an "explosive diarrhoea parasite" and noted the scale of the incident was unprecedented in the US. No further case counts or hospitalizations were included in the reporting.
The outbreak's connection to iceberg lettuce rippled through the produce market. The Guardian reported that US lettuce prices fell as the outbreak wound down, even as costs for other goods remained stubbornly high. That price movement suggests the lettuce supply chain is recovering now that the health threat has passed.
The CDC's declaration closes a significant chapter in US foodborne illness surveillance. Cyclospora is typically associated with imported produce and has caused smaller outbreaks in past years, though none at this record scale.
What to watch next: whether regulators release a full case total and trace the contamination back to a specific farm or supplier, and whether lettuce prices stabilize as the market adjusts.
