The Trump administration faces a new Cyclospora parasite outbreak under investigation by federal health agencies, separate from a previous lettuce contamination recall that sickened nearly 2,000 people.

The outbreak emerged as the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention work to contain the spread of the parasite, which causes severe gastrointestinal illness. Health officials have linked iceberg lettuce from central Mexico to cases across nine states.

What We Know About the Outbreak

Federal agencies have connected iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms in central Mexico to cyclospora cases affecting at least 1,947 people in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Nearly 100 people have been hospitalized, though no deaths have been reported.

The illness produces watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, and bloating. Symptoms can appear between two days and two weeks after exposure, complicating outbreak investigations.

Taylor Farms removed “all potentially implicated product from the marketplace” and issued a broader recall of all iceberg lettuce from the region after federal officials identified concerns, the company said Friday.

Agency Response and Challenges

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated earlier this week his department had the outbreak “under control” and had “identified the source of the outbreak” through epidemiological analysis.

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb disagreed with that assessment. “I don’t think it’s under control yet, per se,” Gottlieb told CBS News’s Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation,” citing uncertainty about whether central Mexico represents the only source region.

Gottlieb acknowledged the FDA performed well in isolating the outbreak but criticized the agency’s communication efforts. “There hasn’t been as much communication from the agency as you might expect,” he said, noting that cyclospora detection remains extremely difficult.

The Broader Picture

The FDA currently investigates six active cyclospora outbreaks. Only the iceberg lettuce outbreak-which has produced more than 11,000 confirmed or suspected cases nationwide-has been traced to a specific source.

Cyclospora cases typically peak between May and August. While infections can occur through contaminated food or water abroad, domestic cases more frequently link to fresh produce, including a 2024 outbreak tied to contaminated parsley that sickened at least 69 people.

CDC Deputy Director Gwen Biggerstaff noted that cyclospora investigations “take a significant amount of time” due to the parasite’s delayed symptom onset and detection challenges.