The 2026 Cyclospora outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce has affected nearly 2,000 people across nine states. One important issue is that Cyclospora is not automatically included in every routine stool or gastrointestinal PCR panel. For people looking for another testing option, the GI-MAP™ test used by Real Health Diagnostics uses quantitative PCR (qPCR) technology and includes a Cyclospora spp. target in a stool sample that can be collected at home.
If you ate at a Taco Bell affected by the recent iceberg lettuce outbreak and later developed persistent watery diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, bloating, or stomach cramping, Cyclospora may be one infection your healthcare provider considers.
As of the FDA’s July 24, 2026 update, 1,947 Cyclospora cases among people who reported Taco Bell exposure had been reported across nine states: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The FDA and CDC investigation linked the outbreak to iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and recalled by Taylor Farms de Mexico.
One important part of this outbreak is understanding how Cyclospora is tested for. A person can have stool testing performed without Cyclospora necessarily being included.
Why routine stool testing may miss Cyclospora
Cyclospora testing is not routinely conducted in many U.S. laboratories, even when stool is being tested for parasites. The CDC specifically advises healthcare providers to request testing for Cyclospora when infection is suspected. Not every gastrointestinal PCR panel includes Cyclospora either.
Traditional ova-and-parasite testing can identify Cyclospora when the laboratory uses appropriate methods, but the organism can be difficult to detect. Specialized procedures such as modified acid-fast staining, UV fluorescence microscopy, or molecular PCR testing may be used. Cyclospora can also be shed intermittently and at relatively low levels, which means even a single negative stool specimen does not completely exclude infection. In some circumstances, multiple specimens collected on different days may be needed.
What this means practically is that someone with symptoms and a previous negative stool test should find out whether that test actually included Cyclospora rather than assuming that all stool panels automatically screen for it.
One testing option used by Real Health Diagnostics is the GI-MAP™ test, developed by Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory. GI-MAP™ uses quantitative polymerase chain reaction, or qPCR, to measure targeted microbial DNA in a single stool sample. Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory lists Cyclospora spp. among the parasites and protozoa included on the GI-MAP™.
The species known to cause human cyclosporiasis is Cyclospora cayetanensis. However, because the GI-MAP™ report identifies its target as Cyclospora spp., it is more accurate to describe the test using that terminology rather than saying the report specifically identifies C. cayetanensis.
The GI-MAP™ sample can be collected at home and sent to the laboratory for analysis. It is a practitioner-ordered test and also evaluates a broader group of gastrointestinal organisms and selected digestive, immune, and inflammatory markers. Real Health Diagnostics uses the GI-MAP™ test as one of the stool testing options available to its clients and provides practitioner support related to testing and results.
Finding Cyclospora is only the first step
Identifying Cyclospora is important because appropriate treatment begins with knowing what you are dealing with. But a test designed only to detect Cyclospora answers one primary question: is the parasite detected? It does not necessarily tell you what else is happening in the intestinal environment.
Gastrointestinal infections can sometimes be followed by lingering digestive symptoms and changes involving inflammatory or immune responses and the gut microbiome. This does not mean every microbiome imbalance or abnormal intestinal marker found after an infection was directly caused by Cyclospora. It does mean that simply identifying or treating the parasite may not provide the full picture for someone who continues to experience digestive problems afterward.
This is one reason Real Health Diagnostics uses the GI-MAP™ test as a broader stool testing option. GI-MAP™ uses qPCR technology and tests for Cyclospora spp., but it also looks beyond the parasite itself. Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory includes commensal and keystone bacteria, opportunistic and overgrowth microbes, fungi and yeast, other parasites, and a group of intestinal health markers on GI-MAP™. Those additional markers can provide information about several areas that may be important during gastrointestinal recovery.
“If you’re severely ill, see your doctor first. But finding the parasite is only the first part of the picture. A test that looks only for Cyclospora doesn’t tell you what the infection may have left behind in the gut — whether there is ongoing inflammation, shifts or imbalances in the microbiome, opportunistic overgrowth patterns, or changes in intestinal immune activity. The GI-MAP™ test we use looks at Cyclospora alongside the broader gut environment, including microbial patterns and intestinal health markers. That information can help identify which areas may need attention during recovery, so you’re not simply treating the infection and then guessing about what to focus on afterward.”— Madison Ordway, FDN-P, Real Health Diagnostics Inc.
Cyclospora symptoms can persist or relapse
One thing that catches people off guard about Cyclospora infection is that symptoms can last longer than people expect. According to the CDC, untreated illness may last from several days to a month or longer, and symptoms can appear to improve and then return. Even after the parasite is cleared with treatment (the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is the standard, and requires a prescription), the gut microbiome can remain disrupted for weeks, contributing to ongoing digestive symptoms that patients often attribute to something else.
The GI-MAP™ test used by Real Health Diagnostics includes additional gastrointestinal markers beyond Cyclospora, including other pathogens, commensal and opportunistic organisms, fungi and yeast, parasites, and selected intestinal health markers. These can provide additional information about digestive function and the gastrointestinal environment rather than looking only for a single organism. Real Health Diagnostics also includes a gut recovery guide for patients and practitioners navigating the post-infection phase.
What the recall covers — and what it doesn’t
Taylor Farms de Mexico’s voluntary recall, announced July 17, 2026, covers shredded iceberg lettuce distributed to food service customers including Taco Bell, and Marketside-brand products sold at Walmart. The recall does not cover Taylor Farms’ branded retail salad products. If you purchased a Taylor Farms salad kit from a grocery store, that product is not part of the current recall.
The CDC and FDA note that investigators are still working to determine whether additional sources may be involved in Cyclospora illnesses reported nationally beyond the Taco Bell cluster. If you have symptoms consistent with Cyclospora infection and have eaten leafy greens from any source in the past several weeks, it is worth discussing testing with your healthcare provider.
For people looking for a broader practitioner-ordered stool testing option that can be completed from home, Real Health Diagnostics uses the GI-MAP™ test as one testing option. Additional information about GI-MAP™ and Cyclospora testing is available at:
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. GI-MAP™ is a practitioner-ordered laboratory test. It screens for pathogens and does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Anyone experiencing severe symptoms should see a healthcare provider immediately. GI-MAP™ is a trademark of Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory, LLC. Real Health Diagnostics Inc. is not affiliated with or endorsed by Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory.
