Cyclospora and salmonella outbreaks raise concerns about U.S. food safety - PBS

What the report says

PBS NewsHour reported on July 27, 2026, that rising foodborne illness concerns in the United States are being driven by a large cyclosporiasis outbreak and a separate salmonella outbreak tied to eggs. Correspondent William Brangham discussed the situation with Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, as consumers question whether safeguards are keeping contaminated food out of stores.

According to PBS, there are nearly 4,200 confirmed cyclospora cases across nine states, with more than 7,400 additional unconfirmed cases. The illness has been especially concentrated in Michigan. Rivers said the cyclosporiasis outbreak appears to be the largest on record, while the salmonella outbreak, linked to shell eggs and affecting 17 states, has sickened almost 100 people so far.

Rivers told PBS the two outbreaks are not connected: they involve different pathogens, foods and affected areas. She said their broader commonality is the highly connected U.S. food supply, where large producers can distribute products widely. She also said Michigan’s high case count may reflect both exposure to contaminated lettuce and strong public health outreach that encouraged testing and reporting.

The PBS segment also placed the outbreaks in a wider public health context, including workforce and budget pressures on health agencies and a record year for measles cases. Rivers said state and local health departments are central to responding to foodborne illness and infectious disease threats, but need adequate staffing and funding to do that work effectively.