Michigan health officials just reported the first two deaths in a parasitic fast food outbreak that is currently sweeping through 47 states

Michigan health officials have confirmed the first two deaths linked to a widespread cyclosporiasis outbreak that has now reached 47 states. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as detailed by BroBible, reports that 10,468 people have been diagnosed with laboratory-confirmed cases since May 1, 2026. The agency says it is also aware of more than 12,255 additional cases still awaiting investigation or lab confirmation, meaning the total could eventually climb as high as 22,700.

Michigan is currently seeing the most severe impact from the outbreak, with more than 11,000 cases reported in the state. The two fatalities mark the first deaths in the country this year tied to the parasite, which causes a set of symptoms officials have described as “explosive diarrhea.” Many people who contract the illness recover without seeking medical care, meaning the true scope of the outbreak is likely higher than what is officially tracked.

The geographic spread has continued to widen in recent days. Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and North Carolina were added Tuesday to the list of states with confirmed diagnoses, while Missouri alone reported 1,095 cases as of Sunday, nearly double the total from a week earlier. Only Delaware, Hawaii, and Montana have avoided laboratory-confirmed cases so far, though even those states have logged a handful of possible infections.

The supply chain response has moved almost as fast as the case count

Investigators have traced most of the cases back to Taco Bell’s use of shredded lettuce sourced from central Mexico. Taylor Farms, the Salinas, California-based producer that supplied the lettuce, issued a voluntary recall last month covering all iceberg lettuce that originated from that region. The visibility around the outbreak has already affected day-to-day business at some locations, echoing footage of an empty Taco Bell dining room that circulated widely as the outbreak drew national attention.

Sysco, the largest broadline food distributor in the world, has announced it will stop purchasing iceberg lettuce from Mexico entirely because of the ongoing outbreak. The response has extended beyond the food industry as well, amid political attention on the outbreak that included a tariff threat tied to the outbreak as officials pressed for accountability over the contaminated supply chain.

The CDC says it continues to work with state health departments to track the outbreak as new cases are confirmed, with the investigation focused on identifying any remaining sources of contamination.