Cyclospora outbreak expands to 9 states as Michigan cases pass 8,000

The CDC's July 24 update adds Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania to the Taylor Farms Taco Bell outbreak, lifting it to 1,947 cases and 98 hospitalizations, while Michigan hits 8,176 cases and Reuters reports federal funding cuts are hobbling the state's investigation. Plus a Brooklyn cold brew concentrate is recalled over botulism risk, and Jeep tells 641 Wrangler and Gladiator owners to stop driving over steel wheels that can crack and separate.

The cyclospora outbreak that has dominated this summer quietly got wider this week, and the agency doing the counting is doing it with fewer people than it had a year ago.

In its July 24 update, the CDC expanded the multistate outbreak tied to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico from five states to nine, adding Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. The case count tied to Taco Bell exposure rose from 1,644 to 1,947, and hospitalizations from 94 to 98. No deaths have been reported. The illness onset window now runs June 22 through July 20, the roughly six-week shift first noted in yesterday's issue, meaning earlier cases once counted inside the outbreak definition now fall outside it.

Michigan remains the epicenter, and its number keeps climbing. The state health department is now reporting 8,176 cyclosporiasis cases and 160 hospitalizations, up from the 7,664 it posted July 23. Wayne County alone has 1,036 cases, Washtenaw 773, Oakland 710, and Ingham roughly 700. Nationally, the CDC's surveillance page counts 4,173 laboratory-confirmed cases across 41 states plus more than 7,400 additional reported infections not yet confirmed, many of them in Michigan and Ohio.

What is new is the picture of a response bending under the load. Reuters reported July 25 that Michigan is straining to keep up in part because of federal funding cuts. The state has 23 fewer infectious disease workers and 123 fewer county health staff after the 2025 cancellation of around $12 billion in COVID-era grants to states, and a separate $40 million cut to USAID funding that supported a CDC lab that investigates parasitic diseases. Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan's chief medical executive, said the state has "had to pull in dozens of staff from other areas, from hepatitis C and interns who are working on gun violence prevention." Ingham County's five nurses have investigated only about half of their roughly 700 cases and have started dropping older cases to focus on new ones. County officials told Reuters they learned some outbreak developments from the news before hearing from federal agencies. About 12 percent of Michigan patients have no clear link to lettuce or any fast-food chain, a signal that other sources may still be circulating. An HHS spokesperson disputed the criticism, saying the CDC meets daily with the FDA and states and sent a team of epidemic intelligence experts to Ohio on July 22.

The recall itself is unchanged. Taylor Farms de Mexico's shredded iceberg lettuce recall covers Walmart Marketside Iceberg Salad (12oz and 24oz) and Shredded Lettuce (8oz and 16oz) with Best if Used By dates July 18 through August 3, sold in 15 retail states, plus foodservice distribution across 27 states. The case still rests on epidemiology and traceback, not a lab-confirmed product sample: the FDA's July 18 positive Cyclospora test was retracted as a false positive on July 19. Taco Bell stopped using Taylor Farms lettuce nationwide on July 17. Washing does not remove Cyclospora. If you have recalled lettuce, throw it out or return it; Walmart refunds are at 1-800-925-6278 and Taylor Farms at 855-455-0098. Symptoms include explosive, watery diarrhea and stomach cramps that can last weeks; if you are sick, tell your doctor about possible Cyclospora exposure so the right test is ordered.

Brooklyn Roasting cold brew concentrate recalled over botulism risk

A cold brew product that may be sitting in a refrigerator or on a counter is under recall because of the most serious toxin in food safety. Brooklyn Roasting Company is recalling 1,219 units of its pasteurized cold brew concentrate, the FDA announced, after the company discovered that storing the product at room temperature can lead to formation of Clostridium botulinum toxin, which causes botulism.

The recalled product is packaged in 2.5 gallon bags in boxes, with best-by dates ranging from June 30 through September 30. It was distributed in New York and New Jersey between April 1 and June 20. The FDA classified it as a Class II recall, meaning the product may cause temporary health problems with a remote risk of more serious consequences. No illnesses have been reported.

Botulism is a life-threatening illness that attacks the body's nerves. The CDC lists difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness, double vision, slurred speech, and difficulty breathing as common symptoms, with foodborne cases also involving vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea. The hazard here is specific to ambient storage: the concentrate is pasteurized, but if it has been kept at room temperature, the conditions can allow the toxin to develop.

What to do: do not consume the product, and do not store it at room temperature. Check the FDA safety alerts page for the full recall notice and return or discard the concentrate. If you have consumed it and develop symptoms, seek medical care immediately and mention the possible botulism exposure. The scope is small (1,219 units, two states, and a foodservice-size format), but the hazard warrants the check.

Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator recalled over steel wheels that can crack, with a stop-driving order

Jeep is telling a small group of owners to stop driving, and the reason is unusual. Stellantis (FCA US) is recalling 641 vehicles over steel wheels that may have been produced with a thin-wall condition, which can cause the wheel to crack and separate without warning, leading to a loss of vehicle control and a crash.

The recall covers 606 model year 2026 Jeep Wranglers built between November 10 and November 16, 2025, and 35 model year 2026 Jeep Gladiators built between November 10 and November 15, 2025, all equipped with the affected steel wheels (WAA equipment code) supplied by Maxion Wheels of Novi, Michigan. FCA estimates 100 percent of the affected population has the defect. The population is small because the suspect window was only about a week; vehicles with alloy wheels, or built outside those dates, are not included. FCA is not aware of any warranty claims, crashes, or injuries.

The filing lists "Do Not Drive" and "Park Outside" among its consumer advisories. The wheel defect is not a fire risk, so the park-outside guidance appears precautionary, but the do-not-drive instruction is the one to act on: a wheel cracking at speed is exactly the kind of failure that happens without prior warning, according to FCA's own filing.

What to do: if you drive a 2026 Wrangler or Gladiator with steel wheels, check your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls, where affected VINs have been searchable since July 23. Dealers will inspect the steel wheels and replace them, along with the valve stems, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to mail September 4. Contact FCA at 1-800-853-1403, recall number 05D.

Tracking

Recalled eggs, Salmonella: Holds at 98 illnesses, 26 hospitalizations, and 0 deaths across 17 states, per the CDC's July 24 update that led yesterday's issue. The recall is unchanged: 1,589,577 dozen eggs from Midwest Poultry Services, plant code P-1950 or 840962, Julian dates 157 to 184, sell-by July 20 through August 17, sold as Kroger, Simple Truth, Brookshire's, Country Morning, and Sunups. The eggs are still within their sell-by window, so check your carton and return for a refund (574-405-9531).
Kia Telluride fire: 462,869 model year 2020-2024 Tellurides under recall 26V430 over power seat motors that can overheat and catch fire. VINs are live on NHTSA.gov/recalls; park outside and away from structures until the electronic fuse is installed. Owner letters mail August 13 (Kia 1-800-333-4542, SC374).
Clover Hill cheese, Listeria: The soft-cheese outbreak holds at 12 illnesses, 10 hospitalizations, and 1 death (Maryland), unchanged since late June. La Ceiba requeson (sold at La Colonia and Selectos Latinos) passed its July 10 expiration, so discard any still in your fridge; cheese may have been repacked under Kesso, Quesos la Ricura, Izalco, De mi Pueblo, or Rio Lindo. CDC investigation page.
Nara Organics infant formula, botulism: Holds at 4 hospitalized infants (California 2, Pennsylvania 1, Washington 1), with no new cases since the June 13 notice. All lots are recalled; sold at Target and Nara.com from July 2025 through June 2026. CDC investigation page.
California Dairies powdered milk, Salmonella: In its fourth month, the original April 20 recall of 2.7 million pounds of nonfat dry milk has cascaded to more than eight downstream brands (Zapp's and Dirty chips, Ghirardelli mixes, Motor City Pizza 5 Cheese Bread, among others), with 0 illnesses. FDA major recall page.