Cyclosporiasis outbreak deaths: 2 dead in Michigan as cases continue to climb

By FOX 2 Staff
FOX 2 Detroit
Published August 3, 2026 9:59 AM CDT

Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection that spreads when people ingest food or water contaminated with stool. Image: CDC

The Brief

    • Michigan has reported the first two deaths in the U.S. of people who had been sickened in the outbreak of cyclospora.
    • State officials said both people had underlying health conditions, but didn't elaborate.
    • Cases continue to increase in the state, with more than 11,000 being reported Monday.

FOX 2 - Michigan is reporting two deaths in the cyclosporiasis outbreak among its most recent case update Monday.

Two people have died among the cyclosporiasis caseload, which in total has climbed to over 11,000 cases confirmed.

According to the state health department, there have been 193 people hospitalized for the illness as well.

Michigan deaths from Cyclosporiasis

What they're saying:

Other contributing health factors contributed to the deaths of both victims, HHS reports.

"According to medical records, both individuals had significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration. No additional information will be provided on these two cases."

The health department says that Cyclosporiasis is "generally not a life-threatening illness."

Michigan Cyclosporiasis cases climb

By the numbers:

The latest reporting from MDHHS reports cases of 11,234 Cyclosporiasis in Michigan.

Data as of August 3 at 9:30 a.m. on Monday also included a total of 193 people in the hospital for severe cases of the disease.

Dig deeper:

As officials have worked to track down the source of the widening outbreak, surveillance of foods in Michigan have pointed toward iceberg lettuce from Central Mexico as a possible origin.

Shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in five states, including Michigan, has been identified by the CDC for possible contamination. 

However, the Food and Drug Administration also said the lettuce supplier, Taylor Farms de Mexico, is not confirmed as the source of the parasite after a review of sample results were considered a "false positive."

Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled all of their iceberg lettuce as a precaution. 

Taco Bell lawsuit looms as outbreak grows

Meanwhile:

Attorney Ron Simon says he has filed the first of what is expected to be many lawsuits in connection with the outbreak.

"So we filed the first lawsuit a few days ago in the United States against Taco Bell and Taylor Farms and what will happen in that process is Taylor Farms and Taco Bell have 30 days to answer the lawsuit," he said.

Zoom Out:

MDHHS released several recommendations to reduce the possibility of being exposed to the illness.

For lettuce and salad greens: 

  • Purchase whole heads: Buy whole heads of lettuce rather than pre-washed, bagged lettuce or pre-mixed salad kits.
  • Discard outer layers: Before preparation, throw away the outer two to three layers of leaves.
  • Wash inner leaves: Thoroughly wash the remaining inner leaves under clean running water.
  • Prioritize cooking: For any greens that can be cooked, cooking to a temperature of at least 158 F (70 C) is the safest option, as the parasite is resistant to routine chemical disinfection and washing alone cannot guarantee its removal.

The Source: Information for this report is from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. 

Cyclosporiasis OutbreakHealthMichiganMichigan