Parasite Takes Over U.S.

Kenley Meadows, staff writer

Salads are usually a popular and healthy dish with many different varieties, but this summer, one type of lettuce hasn’t lived up to expectations. Over the summer, iceberg lettuce was reported to be contaminated with a parasite and could cause a disease known as cyclosporiasis, which left many chained to their toilets. Over 740 people were hospitalized this summer because of the disease, and two people lost their lives. 

The recent breakout originated in a Mexican farm owned by Taylor Farms. On July 17, 2026, Taylor Farms sent out a recall notice for iceberg lettuce because of the possibility of it being contaminated with Cyclospora, a parasite that causes cyclosporiasis. The products weren’t able to be removed from grocery stores and restaurants in time, and the number of cyclosporiasis cases skyrocketed. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported around 14,000 cases in 2026 alone. 

The disease usually does not spread within the country, so international farms are usually the cause of these outbreaks. One outbreak in 1996 was linked to a farm in Guatemala that had infected raspberries. It starts in the ground, then reaches growing plants until it’s ingested. After that, it finds itself in people’s stool until it reaches the ground and becomes infectious again. Cyclosporiasis can affect anyone, even if they are in good health. It isn’t able to pass from person to person, but if people share food, then there’s a higher possibility of both of those people getting the disease. 

Cyclosporiasis started spreading across the U.S. via iceberg lettuce. This type of lettuce was found in fast food chains such as Taco Bell, which made people stop going in fear of potentially getting the parasite. This has led certain people to no longer trust in the food safety programs of the U.S. since this situation should have been avoided. However, some others argue that federal oversight of the disease significantly increased this year, and food safety was not the reason this spread so far. 

The reason cyclosporiasis was able to continue spreading is because of the parasite’s ability to be infectious after weeks. "[Cyclosporiasis] is absorbed through the intestines, into the bloodstream, and then creates profound diarrhea," according to Mrs. Smith, a biology teacher here at Johns Creek. It’s hard to kill off, and many doctors can’t experiment with it. Heat around 160 degrees Fahrenheit can kill it, but that’s usually not helpful for salad greens, fruits, and herbs that it infects. 

One way to avoid getting cyclosporiasis is to wash vegetables before eating them. This doesn’t automatically mean the parasite is dead, but it’s a helpful safety precaution that’ll reduce the risk of getting infected.  

"Avoid fast food restaurants that have lettuce in them," suggested sophomore Sophia Kwon.

Although avoiding lettuce entirely isn’t ideal, it was also an option to avoid this year’s outbreak. On a larger scale, restaurants attempted to not serve Taylor Farms’ lettuce to its customers, and big events that served salads utilized other types of lettuce like buttercrunch or other leafy vegetables such as spinach. The head of our cafeteria staff, Mr. Janousek, has stated, "As far as impacts for school nutrition, we are continuing to wash all produce thoroughly as well as washing pre-washed produce." Certain menu changes have also occurred in an attempt to avoid contaminating children. Cases have started to go down starting in August because of the precautions people are taking in order to prevent getting the disease. 

Although this year there was a cyclosporiasis outbreak, that doesn’t mean there aren’t cases every year. It’s important to stay informed about the disease and make sure you recognize the symptoms. Stay safe, check your vegetables to see if they might be infected and make sure to stay hydrated as summer comes to a close.