The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is investigating multiple clusters of cyclosporiasis, including a large multistate outbreak linked to processed iceberg lettuce from central Mexico. The outbreak is part of a sharp rise in cases now moving through the United States.
That is why people are asking, Is lettuce safe to eat now? Since May 1, 2026, CDC has received reports of 17,180 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis acquired in the United States, far above the 1,180 cases reported during the same period in 2025. CDC says the current data include cases tied to the iceberg lettuce outbreak and cases not linked to it, which is part of why the total has climbed so quickly.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, and most cases in the United States occur in spring and summer. CDC says the current season runs from May 1 through August 31, which means the country is still in the middle of the period when the parasite is most often reported. Multiple jurisdictions have reported more cases than they did at the same point last year, and CDC says the outbreak has contributed significantly to that increase.
There is still an important gap in the picture. CDC and FDA are investigating at least six other clusters, and their sources have not yet been confirmed. That means the iceberg lettuce link explains one major part of the problem, but not all of it. CDC also says people in the United States who are counted in the data did not report international travel during the 14 days before they got sick, which keeps the focus on domestic exposure rather than imported illness from travel.
For consumers, the practical answer is narrower than the headline question. CDC says it will issue outbreak notices if sources are identified and there is public health action for consumers to take. For now, the lettuce-linked outbreak is real, the case count is high, and the unanswered clusters mean the investigation is still active.
