FDA identifies second cyclospora cluster of 72 cases; North Carolina adds parsley and cilantro to investigation

Science communicator says official messaging is ‘falling short’

The Food and Drug Administration has identified a new cluster of 72 cyclospora infections from an unknown source, adding a second active investigation to a multistate outbreak that has sickened thousands across at least 41 states, according to an agency update Wednesday.

The new cluster joins a separate investigation into shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms that led to a 27-state recall earlier this month. Officials in North Carolina have also identified parsley and cilantro, in addition to lettuce, as potentially linked to the state’s 561 confirmed cases.

“The amount of cases we’re having right now is incredibly high, and it’s clear that there’s multiple outbreaks happening all at once,” said Katelyn Jetelina, a science communicator and founder of Your Local Epidemiologist. “The news of another cluster isn’t too surprising to me. What is is how little information was given. The communication just continually is falling short, which is leaving all of us on the outside to put these puzzle pieces together.”

The FDA warned consumers against shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia on Friday without identifying the producer beyond noting it was located in Mexico. Taylor Farms posted on Facebook Friday afternoon that none of its salads or kits were associated with the outbreak. The formal recall was posted later that evening, noting that potentially contaminated lettuce had been shipped as recently as Thursday. The voluntary recall covered 27 states and used internal product numbers rather than brand names, making it difficult for stores, restaurants and consumers to identify which products were involved.

“The actual recall notice from Taylor Farms was incredibly weird, because you had to decode it,” Jetelina said.

On Saturday, the FDA added an update stating that a lettuce sample not covered by the recall had tested positive for cyclospora. On Sunday, the agency deleted that line and said the test was a false positive. FDA officials told journalists Monday that the recall still existed, despite conflicting messaging from the supplier.

“Today, FDA apologized to us,” a statement on the Taylor Farms website read Sunday, despite no public confirmation of an apology from the agency. The company added that “at this moment, FDA has not identified a single positive product test result for Cyclospora.” On Monday, the producer confirmed the recall was still in effect and said it had stopped sourcing iceberg lettuce from central Mexico for this growing season.

Joshua Sharfstein, a public health professor at Johns Hopkins University and former principal deputy commissioner at the FDA, said the key question facing investigators is “whether the source can stop.”

“If there was a confined burst of contamination, the outbreak could end soon,” Sharfstein said. “But if the soil or water is still contaminated, then there’s a risk of ongoing contamination, and that’s kind of what FDA has to worry about.” He added that “the ability to say all the downstream products — that has traditionally been very hard.”

Cyclospora is difficult to detect in produce; it is easier to find in the feces of humans, in whom the parasite thrives. Contamination can be temporary in produce, meaning investigators sometimes never obtain laboratory confirmation of which product or products spurred an outbreak.

The sequence of public statements and retractions has highlighted a long-delayed regulatory measure. The FDA proposed the Food Traceability Rule last year, a requirement of the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011, designed to quickly identify high-risk foods. Iceberg lettuce is on the list. The rule was scheduled to take effect in January but was delayed to early 2028 after food suppliers requested more time.

“This is exactly the sort of gap that the food traceability list is meant to close,” Jetelina said.

Sharfstein said the rule would have forced companies like Taylor Farms to “have these processes to address” contamination risks.

Jetelina said potential political interference was concerning, making it more difficult to trust information from officials and companies. “Trust is everything. And trust is not declared; it’s demonstrated,” she said.

She contrasted what she described as an “incredibly cooperative” response from Taco Bell, which quickly pulled potentially affected products, with Taylor Farms, which she called “more uncooperative,” appearing to slow-walk its response. “And the question is why, and why isn’t there more pressure from the federal government?”

A Taylor Farms spokesperson told the Guardian the company had launched an independent investigation of its central Mexico facility. “When questions were raised about the source of the recent cyclospora outbreak, we immediately removed all potentially implicated product from the marketplace, and out of an abundance of caution we issued an even broader recall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from the region,” the spokesperson said.

Emily Hilliard, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, said the administration had “mounted a robust, science-based response to this cyclosporiasis outbreak, working closely with health departments in all 50 states, rapidly identifying known sources, and ensuring Americans have the information they need to protect themselves.”