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Federal data points to an unusually active period for foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already conducting 21 investigations so far in 2026 and a sharp rise in cases linked to certain pathogens.

The FDA carried out 26 foodborne illness outbreak investigations during all of 2025, the same number recorded in 2024. By comparison, 21 investigations had already been recorded this year with four months still remaining. Twelve outbreak investigations were posted by the agency in the past two months alone.

Foodborne illnesses can lead to serious complications and hospitalization, while outbreaks can spread across multiple states before the source is identified. The unusually high number of FDA investigations so far in 2026, along with the sharp increase in recent Cyclospora cases, suggests consumers may face a heightened risk from contaminated food this year compared with recent years.

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Newsweek has contacted the FDA for comment via email outside of regular working hours and is awaiting a response.

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Which Foodborne Illness Is Most Common?

Looking across FDA investigations since 2020, Salmonella has been the most frequently identified pathogen, which was involved in 61 of 152 investigations, accounting for about 40 percent of the total.

E. coli was the second most common, with 31 investigations, or roughly 20 percent, followed by Listeria with 27, or 18 percent. Cyclospora accounted for another 19 investigations, equivalent to around 13 percent.

Combined, Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria and Cyclospora were responsible for 138 of the 152 FDA investigations between 2020 and 2026 so far, which is approximately 91 percent of the total.

The Main Illnesses To Watch Out For

• E. coli (Escherichia coli)

  • Type: Bacterial infection. Most strains of E. coli are harmless, but certain strains can cause serious illness.
  • How humans contract it: Usually by swallowing the bacteria through contaminated food or water. Common sources include undercooked ground beef, unpasteurized milk or juice, raw produce and contaminated water. Infection can also spread through contact with infected people or animals.
  • Symptoms: Often watery or bloody diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, and sometimes vomiting or a mild fever. Some strains can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a potentially serious kidney complication.

• Salmonella

  • Type: Bacterial infection, known as salmonellosis.
  • How humans contract it: Most commonly by eating contaminated food, but it can also be contracted through contaminated water or contact with infected animals, their feces or their environments.
  • Symptoms: Usually diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting or headache. Symptoms typically begin between six hours and six days after infection.

• Cyclospora

  • Type: Parasitic infection, caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis.
  • How humans contract it: By consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite, generally through contamination with human feces. U.S. outbreaks have frequently been associated with fresh produce. Direct person-to-person transmission is considered unlikely.
  • Symptoms: Most commonly frequent watery diarrhea, alongside loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, bloating, nausea and fatigue. Symptoms generally begin about a week after exposure and can persist or recur for weeks if untreated.

• Listeria

  • Type: Bacterial infection caused by Listeria monocytogenes, known as listeriosis.
  • How humans contract it: Primarily by eating food contaminated with Listeria. The bacteria can contaminate a range of foods, with outbreaks commonly associated with products such as deli meats, soft cheeses and other ready-to-eat foods.
  • Symptoms: Mild intestinal illness can occur, but serious invasive infection can cause fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures. Pregnant women may have relatively mild symptoms, but infection can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth or serious illness in newborns.

Cyclospora Cases Surge

One of the most notable developments this year has been a substantial increase in cyclosporiasis. There have been 13,895 laboratory-confirmed cases acquired in the U.S. so far in 2026, according to federal data. For comparison, 1,180 cases were reported between May 1 and August 31, 2025.

Two deaths and 740 hospitalizations have been reported this year. In an August 11 update, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at least another 10,455 cyclosporiasis cases may need additional investigation and analysis. One outbreak has been linked to iceberg lettuce sourced from Mexico.

Cyclospora has also accounted for seven separate FDA investigations in 2026, compared with two during all of 2025 and two in 2024. That is already the highest annual number across every year since 2020, despite this year's figures only running through August 12.

Meanwhile, the CDC and state public health officials are continuing to investigate a multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers. The outbreak has caused 345 confirmed illnesses and 36 hospitalizations across 27 states.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and James Debens

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