FDA struggles to identify source of Cyclospora outbreak

NPR · 0:52

11,423 views · 698 likes · Jul 21, 2026

The Food and Drug Administration retracted test results identifying Cyclospora on samples of lettuce from Taylor Farms in Mexico, showing how hard it can be to trace the source of the parasitic outbreak.

Cyclospora parasites are hard to test for — the tested sample might not reflect the entire crop, for example. Plus, there are often unrelated cases that crop up every summer — just because you're…

The Food and Drug Administration retracted test results identifying Cyclospora on samples of lettuce from Taylor Farms in Mexico, showing how hard it can be to trace the source of the parasitic outbreak.

Cyclospora parasites are hard to test for — the tested sample might not reflect the entire crop, for example. Plus, there are often unrelated cases that crop up every summer — just because you're…

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