2 people in Michigan have died amid cyclosporiasis outbreak, perhaps first in US

Anne Snabes, The Detroit News on Aug 3, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

DETROIT — Two people have died from the massive cyclosporiasis outbreak in Michigan, state health officials reported Monday, though they provided few details about the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The deaths appear to be the first reported by a state health department in the United States amid this summer's cyclosporiasis outbreak, which started in late June and has hit multiple states hard. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had recorded no deaths through July 27.

Officials with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said the individuals who died had "significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration." But they said no other details, including the location of the deaths, would be released.

"No additional information will be provided on these two cases," the department said.

The number of cyclosporiasis cases in Michigan, meanwhile, continues to rise. State health officials on Monday reported that there have been 11,234 cases of the parasitic illness in Michigan since June 22. That's an 8% increase over last Thursday's case total of 10,386. It's the largest outbreak of cyclosporiasis to ever hit Michigan.

State health officials said cyclosporiasis, which usually causes frequent, watery explosive diarrhea, is generally not a life-threatening illness.

"Death resulting from cyclosporiasis is uncommon in the United States," the department said.

The outbreak has been linked to contaminated lettuce, and dozens of counties in Michigan have been impacted. As of last Thursday, 193 people had reportedly been hospitalized, according to the state health department. The CDC has recorded 423 hospitalizations nationwide through July 27.

But after daily cases peaked July 13 with 726 in one day, the number of cases of cyclosporiasis reported each day to the state health department has declined.

The CDC, the Food and Drug Administration and state public health officials have been investigating a link between the outbreak and iceberg lettuce from central Mexico. The outbreak has hit nine states, including Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Kansas, Illinois, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.

The CDC said it's also investigating other outbreaks and illnesses of cyclosporiasis nationally that are unrelated to that outbreak.

Cases spread to Canada

Meanwhile, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit in Canada, which covers the city of Windsor, Essex County and Pelee Island, said on Friday that it had identified 24 cases of cyclosporiasis in 2026. The region averages around three cases in a typical year. The health unit said that local public health investigations have identified travel to Michigan as a common exposure among many recent cases.

"The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is advising residents to take precautions when travelling to Michigan following a significant increase in cases of cyclosporiasis reported locally and throughout the State of Michigan," the agency said in a news release.

What to do about lettuce during outbreak

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recommends buying whole heads of lettuce or salad greens instead of bagged lettuce, removing the outer leaves, trimming any damaged areas and washing the produce thoroughly before eating it.

The state health department said in an FAQ document that while the investigation is ongoing, current results point to lettuce or salad greens as a potential source for this outbreak, "although other food items cannot be completely ruled out." Past Cyclospora outbreaks have been linked to raspberries, basil, cilantro, snow peas and mesclun lettuce.

"Continue to follow general food safety practices for all fresh produce: Wash it, peel it if you can, cook it," the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said. "Do not assume that any specific item is 'cleared' unless public health authorities explicitly say so."

_____