The International Fresh Produce Association wants federal investigators to look past the produce aisle. As the country’s largest Cyclospora outbreak on record continues to grow, IFPA has formally asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to broaden its search for the parasite’s source.
IFPA submitted written comments to the CDC on Aug. 4, according to a press release from the association. The trade group represents growers, shippers, retailers and foodservice operators across the fresh produce and floral supply chain.
A Growing Public Health Crisis
The timing matters. CDC has logged 6,707 reports of domestically acquired cyclosporiasis since May 1, according to the Washington State Department of Health, which cites CDC data. That figure dwarfs the 249 cases the agency recorded over the same stretch last year.
A separate multistate cluster tied to shredded iceberg lettuce has already reached 15 states, the Washington Post reported Aug. 4, citing a person familiar with the investigation. Health officials linked that cluster to lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico, which recalled iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico on July 17, per a CDC update.
At least 98 hospitalizations tied to the lettuce-linked cluster have been reported nationally, CDC says.
The picture darkened on Aug. 3. CDC announced it is now aware of two cyclosporiasis-related deaths in Michigan, both in people with underlying health conditions, according to the agency. CDC says it will begin updating its website to include deaths alongside confirmed cases and hospitalizations.
Michigan health officials filled in more detail. Both patients had significant underlying health conditions that cyclosporiasis and dehydration may have worsened, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said. Both became ill before the FDA’s July 17 lettuce recall.
MDHHS is not releasing further details on the two cases.
Michigan’s own outbreak tracker paints a striking picture. The state has logged 12,218 total cases, according to MDHHS, with 193 reported hospitalizations as of July 30. State case counts can run higher than CDC’s national tally because states sometimes include probable illnesses alongside lab-confirmed ones, CDC has noted.
Even so, health officials stress that deaths from cyclosporiasis remain rare. “Cyclosporiasis is generally not a life-threatening illness,” MDHHS said, calling death from the parasite uncommon in the United States.
Beyond the Plate
IFPA’s comments respond to a specific CDC proposal: extending use of the Cyclosporiasis National Hypothesis Generating Questionnaire, the tool investigators use to interview sick patients. Right now, that questionnaire leans heavily on food history.
IFPA wants that to change. The association is urging CDC to add structured questions covering drinking water sources, recreational water activities, wastewater exposure and septic systems.
“Protecting public health and finding the source of outbreaks as quickly as possible are goals we all share,” said Max Teplitski, IFPA’s chief science officer, in the press release. “The best way to achieve that is to ensure investigators systematically consider all likely routes of exposure.”
Cyclospora spreads through fecal-contaminated water or soil, not through person-to-person contact. That biology, IFPA argues, means environmental and occupational exposures deserve equal footing with food in every investigation.
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A Call for Sharper Data
IFPA also pressed CDC to revisit unresolved historical Cyclospora investigations. Old, unsolved cases could hold clues that a broader questionnaire might finally surface.
The association separately floated wastewater surveillance as a public health tool. Monitoring sewage systems could help officials track how the parasite moves through communities between outbreaks, not just during them.
Climate plays a role too, according to IFPA. Warmer, wetter conditions can expand the environments where Cyclospora survives and spreads, the association noted in its comments.
“We need to see this outbreak end and its root cause identified,” Teplitski said. He added that the industry must “seriously consider other routes of exposure that are likely, but have been traditionally less common in the U.S.”
Industry Stays at the Table
IFPA says it has stayed engaged with federal and state officials throughout the outbreak response. The association has briefed members regularly, shared technical resources and connected companies directly with food safety experts.
That engagement reflects a broader industry reality. Produce companies bear reputational and financial risk every time an outbreak traces back to fresh food, even when the ultimate source turns out to be something else entirely.
Teplitski framed the stakes in terms of trust. “We will continue advocating for investigations that are guided by data, informed by science so we can prevent future outbreaks and maintain consumer and industry trust in public health systems,” he said.
What Comes Next
CDC has not yet said whether it will adopt IFPA’s recommendations. The agency is still reviewing public comments on its proposed questionnaire extension.
IFPA says it welcomes continued dialogue with CDC and other public health partners as the review moves forward.
For now, the outbreak keeps expanding. Supermarkets and foodservice operators will be watching closely to see whether CDC broadens its investigative lens, and whether that shift helps investigators finally pin down where this year’s surge began.