The Cyclospora Mystery: How Human Poop Got on So Much Lettuce
The Daily
08/06/26
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U.S. health officials linked six more states to what’s now the largest outbreak of cyclospora in American history — an outbreak that has contributed to at least two deaths, sickened thousands of people and left the rest of us increasingly scared of salad.
Today, Christina Jewett and Caroline Hopkins Legaspi, two public health reporters who have covered the parasite for The New York Times, discuss what’s been learned about where it comes from, how it spread so quickly and why our food safety system seems to be powerless to stop it.
Guest:
- Christina Jewett, covers the Food and Drug Administration for The New York Times.
- Caroline Hopkins Legaspi, a health reporter focusing on nutrition and sleep for The New York Times.
Background reading:
- Taco Bell and the food distributor Sysco have pulled Taylor Farms lettuce from supply chains after it was linked to cyclosporiasis.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked six more states to the cyclospora outbreak associated with iceberg lettuce.
Photo: Michelle V. Agins / The New York Times
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
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Previous Episode
The United States is undergoing one of the biggest changes to its social safety net in recent history, with huge numbers of people getting dropped from the government’s food assistance program. Nowhere has this been more dramatic than in Arizona.
Jason DeParle, who covers poverty for The New York Times, explains why so many people are suddenly losing access to this key benefit, and what implications it could have for the rest of the country.
Guest: Jason DeParle, who writes about poverty in the United States for The New York Times.
Background reading:
- Faced with piles of new paperwork, people are losing food stamps.
- Video: What Arizona reveals about the future of food stamps.
Photo: Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Next Episode
Over the past week, a growing number of municipalities across the United States have reported that their water systems were hacked. The Times has found that the attacks were most likely perpetrated by Iran.
Today, Dustin Volz, a cybersecurity and intelligence correspondent for The New York Times, explains how the hacking exposes yearslong failed efforts to shore up vulnerabilities in U.S. infrastructure, and how Iran may be seeking a new kind of leverage that could extend the war’s reach to within U.S. borders and affect something as elemental as the water we drink.
Guest: Dustin Volz, a cybersecurity and intelligence correspondent for The New York Times.
Background reading:
- Federal and state officials are racing to address an assault on the nation’s water supply.
- Cyberattacks on water systems nationwide that affected Michigan and Minnesota also included at least five more states. Evidence points to Iranian involvement.
Photo: Jenn Ackerman for The New York Times
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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