Texas health officials have confirmed 98 Cyclospora cases while the FDA says a Taylor Fresh Foods lettuce sample first flagged as positive was a false positive after review.
The reversal leaves the FDA with no confirmed positive product tests, though it is still trying to keep recalled shredded iceberg lettuce off store shelves during the multi-state outbreak probe.
Local counts show the Houston-area cluster remains active: Fort Bend has 20 suspected cases, Montgomery 9, Brazoria 1 confirmed and 4 suspected, and Galveston 7 confirmed with 6 investigations pending.
Cyclospora is a parasite often tied to hard-to-wash produce such as precut lettuce, and its incubation period of up to 10 days makes the outbreak source difficult to trace.
Health experts advised shoppers to switch from bagged precut lettuce to whole heads and choose easier-to-wash fruit as investigators still have not identified the outbreak's origin.