MDHHS updates guidance on cyclosporiasis outbreak regarding lettuce and salad greens

LANSING, Mich. - In response to the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) advises Michigan residents that they can resume routine guidance for consuming lettuce and salad greens as new cyclosporiasis case reports and related emergency department visits are on the decline.

"Since the start of this outbreak, MDHHS has remained committed to providing timely, transparent information and clear recommendations to Michigan residents," said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive. "As new data has emerged, our guidance has evolved to reflect the best available evidence, helping ensure that prevention recommendations are accurate, actionable and responsive to the changing situation."

After reporting 12,485 cases of cyclosporiasis in Michigan since June 2026, the data now suggests that new cyclosporiasis case reports are slowing, including a downward trend in diarrhea-related emergency department visits.

On average, persons exposed to cyclosporiasis start to feel sick seven days after exposure, but symptoms can take up to 14 days to appear. Given the seven-day average incubation period, the data suggests that:

• Most exposures occurred in late June to early July.
• The majority of the contaminated produce is likely no longer available for consumption.

Based on these updates, MDHHS is making the following changes:

• A return to routine guidance for handling produce, including lettuce and salad greens.
  • The broad, precautionary recommendation to avoid bagged salad mixes during the Cyclospora outbreak is no longer in effect. Residents may resume their usual food handling practices and make choices based on their individual risk tolerance.
• Reporting all outbreak data on a weekly basis on Thursdays.

MDHHS continues to recommend avoiding recalled lettuce. The department will continue to monitor the situation closely and inform Michigan families if conditions change, or if signals are detected that suggest additional contaminated products have entered the food supply.