Oakland County now has 1,043 confirmed cyclospora infections, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported Thursday, July 30, making it the second-hardest-hit county in a statewide outbreak that has ballooned to 10,386 cases.
The county-level figure, released in MDHHS's weekly Thursday update, places Oakland County, home to Farmington and Farmington Hills, in the outbreak's densest geographic cluster. Metro Detroit accounts for 2,950 of Michigan's cases: Wayne County (excluding Detroit) leads at 1,379, followed by Oakland County's 1,043, Macomb County at 282, and Detroit at 246.
When we reported July 27, the state had tallied 8,176 cases and 160 hospitalizations. Three days later, those numbers jumped 27% and 21%, respectively. Hospitalizations statewide now stand at 193.
Michigan normally sees about 50 cyclosporiasis cases in an entire year. According to MDHHS data, the 2026 total is roughly 207 times that baseline.
Recall and lawsuits
The outbreak has been linked in part to contaminated iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, which issued a voluntary recall July 17 covering product distributed to food service locations in 27 states, including Michigan. The CDC has tied 1,947 confirmed cases across nine states to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants, with at least 98 hospitalizations in that cluster alone.
Taylor Farms said in a July 24 statement that it suspended all iceberg lettuce sourcing from central Mexico and commissioned independent experts to review food safety at its facility there.
Two federal lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Preston and Marie Parrish of Durand filed suit July 17, alleging they contracted cyclosporiasis after eating at a Shiawassee County Taco Bell; the case seeks at least $75,000 in damages. A second complaint, filed July 22 by Karl and Gina Hercula of Clinton Township, makes similar claims tied to a Macomb County location.
Attorney Ryan Osterholm of Minnesota-based firm OFT, representing the Parrish family, told The Detroit News his firm represents more than 100 Michigan clients sickened in the outbreak. "I think our clients, as well as Taylor Farms and Taco Bell, want the same thing — which is to make sure that this does not happen again next year, and figure out exactly what happened," Osterholm said July 24.
What residents should know
MDHHS advises washing all produce and hands thoroughly before eating or cooking. The department specifically warns against bagged salad mixes, fresh cilantro, fresh basil, raspberries, snow peas, and green onions during the outbreak. Cooking produce to at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit kills the parasite.
Cyclosporiasis symptoms include watery diarrhea, cramping, bloating, nausea, and fatigue, and can appear two days to two weeks after exposure. Standard stool panels do not detect cyclospora; patients must ask their doctor to order a specific test for Cyclospora cayetanensis. The infection is treatable with antibiotics.
The CDC has said the cyclosporiasis season runs through Aug. 31. MDHHS updates its statewide case count each weekday, with the next county-level and hospitalization update expected Thursday, Aug. 6.
