FDA says ‘false positive’ linked Taylor Farms lettuce to explosive diarrhea outbreak

Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleFDA retracts Taylor Farms parasite alert after confirming false positive on iceberg lettuceThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initially linked a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak to Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce but later retracted the claim, stating it was a "false positive." The FDA apologized to Taylor Farms after its initial detection of the cyclospora parasite on lettuce from Mexico was found to be incorrect, with no confirmed positive sample results as of July 19, 2026. Thousands of cases of cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness causing "explosive" diarrhea, have been reported across the U.S., with nearly 7,000 confirmed and suspected cases by July 13. Health officials are struggling to identify a definitive source for the widespread outbreak, with some experts suggesting that staffing and funding cuts at the CDC have hampered the response. Cyclosporiasis is spread through food or water contaminated with fecal matter, and public health experts recommend thorough washing of produce and hands to reduce the risk of infection. In fullFDA tries to walk back lettuce as source of ‘explosive diarrhea’ outbreakMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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