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Michigan Reports First Deaths in Record Parasite Outbreak

healthAug 6, 2026·379 words·3 min read

Health officials in Michigan announced on 3 August that two residents had died after contracting cyclosporiasis, the first deaths recorded in what has become the largest known outbreak of the intestinal parasite in the United States. Both patients had significant underlying health conditions that may have been complicated by the infection and by severe dehydration, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said, declining to release further details.

The parasite spreads when people eat food or drink water that contains human waste. Symptoms usually start about a week later. People get watery diarrhoea, stomach pain, nausea and feel very tired. Without treatment, the illness can last for weeks. Officials have linked one group of cases to shredded iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico by Taylor Farms and sold to Taco Bell and other shops. The company recalled the lettuce and closed the factory.

Michigan alone has recorded 11,234 infections and 193 people in hospital. The CDC counts only cases confirmed in a laboratory, and it had recorded 6,707 by 28 July. Doctors say people should stay calm, because deaths are very rare. Shoppers are still worried. A poll by CBS News (a US TV company) found that four in ten Americans are buying less fresh food. Officials say people should wash vegetables well instead of avoiding them.

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