HHS Secretary says cyclospora outbreak under control as FDA continues probe

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told a briefing on Tuesday that federal officials have brought a multistate cyclospora outbreak under control, citing extensive forensic and epidemiological work that identified the source and prompted product recalls. > "We do have the outbreak under control," Kennedy said, adding that the companies involved have implemented a recall.

The statement followed the Food and Drug Administration’s clarification that an earlier laboratory result indicating a Taylor Farms lettuce sample tested positive for cyclospora was a false positive after further review. The FDA continues to collect product samples and investigate the source of contamination.

Traceback investigators linked shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico to Taco Bell locations where many of the sick reported eating, prompting the company to voluntarily recall iceberg lettuce grown and processed in central Mexico on July 17. The recall does not affect Taylor Farms-branded salad products sold at retail.

To date, 1,644 people in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia have been reported sick, with 94 hospitalizations. Cyclospora, a parasite that can cause prolonged diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms, has historically been associated with fresh produce, though no laboratory-confirmed contaminated product has been identified in this case.

When asked about cuts to the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, Kennedy acknowledged reductions but described them as targeting redundant surveillance, and said states continue forensic efforts. He dismissed criticism of the administration’s response as "invalid."