Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The US has experienced its biggest outbreak to date of cyclosporiasis, a disease caused by Cyclospora, a parasite that is transmitted by food or water contaminated with human shit. What has interested me is the blame game conducted by the media and people online. Who was to blame? Was it everyone? Was it no one?
Patreon: patreon.com/GeorgRockallSchmidt
Leave a tip: paypal.me/GeorgRockallSchmidt
Twitter: twitter.com/grockallschmidt
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/grockallschmidt.bsky.social
Sources
Taco Bell knew of parasite outbreak weeks before nationwide lettuce warning - LA Times
latimes.com/business/story/2026-08-04/taco-bell-knew-of-parasite-outbreak-weeks-before-nationwide-lettuce-warning
Taco Bell met with Michigan on cyclospora parasite weeks before recall – OC Register
ocregister.com/2026/08/03/taco-bell-met-with-michigan-on-parasite-weeks-before-recall
RFK's cut to CDC – USA TODAY
usatoday.com/story/news/state/georgia/atlanta/2026/07/14/parasite-behind-explosive-outbreak-not-part-of-required-monitoring/90912239007
US Cyclospora cases mount as CDC lags on tracking - CIDRAP
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cyclospora/us-cyclospora-cases-mount-cdc-lags-tracking
Trump Cut CDC Monitoring - Newsweek
newsweek.com/donald-trump-cdc-food-net-monitoring-parasite-cyclospora-12180951
FDA Moves To Rehire Staff Fired Days Earlier - PBS
pbs.org/newshour/politics/fda-moves-to-rehire-medical-device-staffers-fired-only-days-earlier-ap-says
We Had It Coming – John Hopkins
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2026/understanding-the-cyclosporiasis-outbreak
Massachusetts senator probes RFK Jr. over Cyclospora outbreak and Taylor Farms ties - WWLP
wwlp.com/news/massachusetts/massachusetts-senator-probes-rfk-jr-over-cyclospora-outbreak-and-taylor-farms-ties
Industrialization Of Agriculture Primer – John Hopkins
foodsystemprimer.org/production/industrialization-of-agriculture
Parasitic infection outbreak exposes deep cracks in public health - Semafor
semafor.com/article/07/14/2026/parasitic-infection-outbreak-exposes-deep-cracks-in-public-health
NNDSS Defined - CDC
cdc.gov/nchs/hus/sources-definitions/nndss.htm
Democrats Overstate Role of Monitoring Program Change in Parasitic Outbreak – FactCheck.org
factcheck.org/2026/07/democrats-overstate-role-of-monitoring-program-change-in-parasitic-outbreak
FDA identifies false-positive result, clarifies source of Cyclospora outbreak - WBALTV
wbaltv.com/article/fda-false-positive-source-cyclospora-outbreak/73194483
Lettuce at Taco Bell in 5 states confirmed as a source of diarrhea-causing parasite – AP News
apnews.com/article/cyclospora-lettuce-taco-bell-cdc-fda-13d9e9ebdc46a4d05a58da2ae8e8d0de
The US has experienced its biggest outbreak to date of cyclosporiasis, a disease caused by Cyclospora, a parasite that is transmitted by food or water contaminated with human shit. What has interested me is the blame game conducted by the media and people online. Who was to blame? Was it everyone? Was it no one?
Patreon: patreon.com/GeorgRockallSchmidt
Leave a tip: paypal.me/GeorgRockallSchmidt
Twitter: twitter.com/grockallschmidt
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/grockallschmidt.bsky.social
Sources
Taco Bell knew of parasite outbreak weeks before nationwide lettuce warning - LA Times
latimes.com/business/story/2026-08-04/taco-bell-knew-of-parasite-outbreak-weeks-before-nationwide-lettuce-warning
Taco Bell met with Michigan on cyclospora parasite weeks before recall – OC Register
ocregister.com/2026/08/03/taco-bell-met-with-michigan-on-parasite-weeks-before-recall
RFK's cut to CDC – USA TODAY
usatoday.com/story/news/state/georgia/atlanta/2026/07/14/parasite-behind-explosive-outbreak-not-part-of-required-monitoring/90912239007
US Cyclospora cases mount as CDC lags on tracking - CIDRAP
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cyclospora/us-cyclospora-cases-mount-cdc-lags-tracking
Trump Cut CDC Monitoring - Newsweek
newsweek.com/donald-trump-cdc-food-net-monitoring-parasite-cyclospora-12180951
FDA Moves To Rehire Staff Fired Days Earlier - PBS
pbs.org/newshour/politics/fda-moves-to-rehire-medical-device-staffers-fired-only-days-earlier-ap-says
We Had It Coming – John Hopkins
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2026/understanding-the-cyclosporiasis-outbreak
Massachusetts senator probes RFK Jr. over Cyclospora outbreak and Taylor Farms ties - WWLP
wwlp.com/news/massachusetts/massachusetts-senator-probes-rfk-jr-over-cyclospora-outbreak-and-taylor-farms-ties
Industrialization Of Agriculture Primer – John Hopkins
foodsystemprimer.org/production/industrialization-of-agriculture
Parasitic infection outbreak exposes deep cracks in public health - Semafor
semafor.com/article/07/14/2026/parasitic-infection-outbreak-exposes-deep-cracks-in-public-health
NNDSS Defined - CDC
cdc.gov/nchs/hus/sources-definitions/nndss.htm
Democrats Overstate Role of Monitoring Program Change in Parasitic Outbreak – FactCheck.org
factcheck.org/2026/07/democrats-overstate-role-of-monitoring-program-change-in-parasitic-outbreak
FDA identifies false-positive result, clarifies source of Cyclospora outbreak - WBALTV
wbaltv.com/article/fda-false-positive-source-cyclospora-outbreak/73194483
Lettuce at Taco Bell in 5 states confirmed as a source of diarrhea-causing parasite – AP News
apnews.com/article/cyclospora-lettuce-taco-bell-cdc-fda-13d9e9ebdc46a4d05a58da2ae8e8d0de
