Michigan battles massive outbreak as state reels from Trump cuts

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on July 17 linked the outbreak to iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants sourced from privately held Taylor Farms' operations in central Mexico. Taco Bell, owned by Yum Brands YUM.N, has stopped using iceberg lettuce supplied from Taylor Farms nationwide, and Taylor Farms has removed lettuce sourced from central Mexico from shelves.

Michigan's investigation did not identify a single fast-food chain as a source, Bagdasarian said. She noted about 12% of patients have no clear link to having consumed lettuce or eaten at a fast-food chain.

The CDC has reported 4,173 laboratory-confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis and said there are more than unconfirmed cases nationwide. Officials said past outbreaks typically involved more regular CDC coordination with states, but the response this time has been more fragmented, with state and local officials sometimes learning new information from the news.