There have been about 10,500 cases of foodborne illness associated with outbreaks so far this year, according to data from the FDA and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s seven times higher than the annual average of about 1,500 cases between 2021 and 2025.
The vast majority of illnesses this year are from the cyclosporiasis outbreak involving iceberg lettuce used at restaurants like Taco Bell and distributed more broadly by Taylor Farms. At least 9,481 illnesses have been linked to that outbreak in 17 states as of Thursday — more illnesses than there have been from all outbreaks over the past four years combined — and there are thousands more under investigation. It’s the largest cyclosporiasis outbreak on record in the US and one of the largest foodborne illness outbreaks overall.
But foodborne illnesses from other outbreaks are accumulating quickly, too.
There have been more than 1,000 cases of illness associated with outbreaks beyond the cyclospora outbreak so far in 2026, FDA data shows. With nearly four months left in the year, this puts the US on track to surpass the average annual case count from the past five years — in addition to the massive cyclospora outbreak.
