Two new food items linked to Cyclospora outbreak in US

Health officials investigating the Cyclospora outbreak in the US say two fresh ingredients 'keep showing up repeatedly' in interviews with people who've fallen ill.

With more than 4,100 cases of the illness already recorded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this year, investigators are racing to find the source of the nasty parasite, which can trigger nausea, stomach cramps, fatigue and even 'explosive diarrhea'.

So far, officials haven't confirmed exactly what's behind the outbreak, but according to health officials in North Carolina, parsley and cilantro (that's coriander here in the UK) have repeatedly cropped up when people infected with Cyclospora were asked what they'd eaten.

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Officials stress that doesn't necessarily mean either ingredient is to blame. They're simply showing up often enough to make health officials take a closer look.

And with cases continuing to climb, investigators in North Carolina are keen to get to the bottom of the outbreak. Since 1 May, the state has recorded 561 cases of the illness - almost double the total reported across the whole of 2025.

In a statement seen by Consumer Reports, North Carolina health officials said parsley and cilantro 'keep showing up repeatedly' in interviews with infected people. They also noted that, unlike some of the larger outbreaks reported elsewhere in the US, they have 'not noticed' any link to lettuce or Taco Bell restaurants in North Carolina.

If you've been following the outbreak, you'll know lettuce has spent much of the investigation in the spotlight.

Earlier this month, investigators in the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) turned its attention to lettuce after a large number of people who fell ill reported eating it before developing symptoms.

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However, North Carolina health officials say they've 'not noticed that association here', suggesting the pattern of illnesses in the state is different from some of the earlier reports.

Over the weekend, the FDA appeared to identify Cyclospora in a sample of lettuce from Taylor Farms in central Mexico, before later clarifying that the result was a false positive

Even so, Taylor Farms has said it is continuing to cooperate with the FDA and has voluntarily recalled its iceberg lettuce products while the investigation continues.

In a statement published on its website, Taylor Farms said:, Taylor Farms assured customers: "To be clear, at this moment, FDA has not identified a single positive product test result for Cyclospora."

So, the hunt for the culprit is still on. And for now, no food has been officially blamed for the thousands of Cyclospora cases recorded across the US this year.