Read AMA Morning Rounds®’ most popular stories in medicine and public health from the week of July 13, 2026–July 17, 2026.
NYC identifies dozens of buildings with Legionnaires’ bacteria but not source of outbreak
Bloomberg (7/10, Nix, Subscription Publication) reports New York City officials on Friday “identified dozens of buildings with Legionnaires’ bacteria in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, closing in on the source of an outbreak.” New York City Health Department workers “tested the cooling towers of 183 buildings in neighborhoods encompassed by three zip codes...that are among the city’s wealthiest and most densely populated.”
The AP (7/11, Marcelo) says authorities “stressed the positive test results do not confirm any of the buildings as the source of outbreak as the tests conducted could not distinguish between live and dead bacteria.”
Lettuce or salad greens may be the source of cyclosporiasis outbreak
The New York Times (7/13, Callahan) reports Michigan health officials in a news release on Monday said “current results point to lettuce or salad greens as a potential source for” the cyclosporiasis outbreak, which has sickened thousands in the state since mid-June. As of Monday, the Times says, “health officials in Michigan had reported 2,640 cases and 44 hospitalizations—a 69% increase in cases from those reported on Friday, and the highest number of cases ever reported in Michigan in a single year. The state typically records only 40 to 50 cases per year.”
You may also be interested in: Stay informed with news and resources on Cyclospora.
Nearly 7,000 cyclosporiasis infections confirmed or under investigation across 34 states
NBC News (7/14, Edwards) reports, “Nearly 7,000 people nationwide may have cyclosporiasis,” according to CDC data released on Tuesday, with “the bulk of the cases...in Michigan, which has confirmed 3,309 cases.” The CDC “reported it had confirmed 1,645 people nationwide have been sickened by cyclosporiasis. An additional 5,100 cases are under investigation.” The figures reflect infections since May 1 across 34 states.
The AP (7/14, Stobbe) reports federal health officials on Tuesday “said there may be different infection patterns in different places, although they believe cases in at least four states—Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia—are linked.”
The Washington Post (7/14, Sun) reports, “Federal and state health officials are investigating whether Taco Bell restaurants played a role in” the cyclosporiasis outbreak. Still, U.S. “officials said they have not confirmed a specific food source or produce grower or supplier responsible for the multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis.” The Post adds, “Public health officials say there could be multiple culprits among multiple outbreaks.” Michigan “has said leafy lettuce is the leading suspected source based on interviews with more than 1,000 patients.”
Health warnings issued over wildfire smoke impacting parts of Midwest and Northeast
The AP (7/15, Pineda, Ganun) reports that “warnings about unhealthy air conditions Wednesday extended from Minnesota through Toronto and into New York” as smoke from “more than 100 wildfires” in Canada spread “over the U.S. Midwest and Northeast this week.” The AP says, “High levels of fine particulate matter in the air from wildfire smoke may be unhealthy for sensitive groups, such as children and people with heart or lung conditions. The particulates can cause shortness of breath, coughing, dizziness or fatigue and aggravate heart and lung diseases and other chronic health issues.”
According to HealthDay (7/15, Vohnoutka), “Officials in Michigan and Wisconsin warned residents Tuesday that air quality problems could last for days,” and “in parts of Maine, residents described yellow and brown skies.”
CDC, FDA link cyclosporiasis outbreak to single lettuce supplier
The Washington Post (7/16, Sun, Roubein) reports CDC and FDA officials “said Thursday that a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis that has sickened thousands of people has been linked” to “a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico used at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.” A CDC update and an FDA update posted Thursday “urged consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants in those states while the investigation continues.” The FDA is working “with the supplier to determine if contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce went to other places, officials said.”
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