From Consumer Reports:
At a press conference on July 21, health officials in North Carolina, which has seen a surge in illnesses caused by the parasite cyclospora this summer, said that some of the cases appear to be linked to parsley and cilantro. The state has reported 561 cases of cyclosporiasis since May 1. That’s nearly double the number of cases it recorded in all of 2025.
State officials said that lettuce may also be involved, and listed it alongside parsley and cilantro as a food item that “keeps showing up repeatedly” in interviews with infected people. However, they noted the increase in cases seen in North Carolina so far does not appear to be related to the large cluster of illnesses “associated with lettuce and Taco Bell” restaurants in other states. (Federal health officials have linked shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms and served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia with illnesses in those states.)