What’s going around? COVID-19 activity rising, Cyclospora update, Salmonella outbreak
Week of August 10: Recalled Cyclospora lettuce no longer in stores, but check your produce as jalapeño recall now in effect
Amanda Stellwag, Logistics Coordinator
Published: August 13, 2026 at 6:34 PM
10 News’ “What’s Going Around” looks at trending health topics and local respiratory virus data in the Roanoke region and across Virginia. Thanks to a partnership with Johns Hopkins University and the Center for Outbreak Response Innovation, the station can show localized disease data for the community
It has been a busy week for public health officials, with seasonal COVID-19 activity beginning to climb, a major Cyclospora outbreak update and a new Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeño peppers across the U.S
Nationally, fewer than 1 percent of emergency department visits are for COVID-19, but most states are beginning to see an increase in activity, according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Health Security. Health officials say the rise is not unusual. COVID-19 activity commonly climbs in late summer and early fall
Respiratory illness activity across Virginia remains minimal, but COVID-19 is starting to tick upward. Virginia reported 6.7 percent of emergency department visits were for respiratory illness as of Aug. 1, a slight decrease of 0.2 percentage points from the previous week’s 6.9 percent, according to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH)
In Roanoke County, emergency department visits for COVID-19 remain very low. A 0.02 percent increase has developed in the percentage of emergency visits for COVID-19 from 0.05 to 0.07 as of Aug. 1
Among all emergency department visits in Virginia, 0.2 percent were confirmed COVID-19 cases, 0.1 percent were influenza, and zero percent were RSV as of the week of Aug. 8
Virginia has received reports of three COVID-19, influenza or RSV-associated deaths in the past six weeks
Staying up to date on vaccinations, washing hands often and staying home when sick can help slow the spread. Those precautions are especially important around older adults and young children, who face a higher risk of serious illness
The recalled iceberg lettuce linked to the Cyclospora outbreak should no longer be on store shelves or restaurant menus. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) confirmedthat the best-by dates for all recalled Taylor Farms de Mexico products have passed
“FDA has initiated an onsite inspection and sampling at Taylor Farms de Mexico in coordination with Mexican officials. FDA remains confident that all recalled iceberg lettuce related to this specific Cyclospora outbreak is off the market,” according to the FDA’s website
The multistate outbreak has reached 9,481 connected illnesses across 17 states, with at least 398 hospitalizations reported overall and two deaths reported in Michigan. Both individuals who died had significant underlying health conditions and both had become ill before the voluntary recall was issued on July 17, the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services says
Maine and Massachusetts were added to the outbreak list on August 13. Six states were included in the outbreak list on August 5th including: Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire and North Carolina
Due to additional interview data, the CDC expanded its confirmed case criteria to include people who reported direct exposure to recalled Taylor Farms de Mexico iceberg lettuce in addition to Taco Bell exposure. Many of the illnesses began before the recall was issued
CDC investigations and data continue to point to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico as the
While recalled products should no longer be available, anyone who still has recalled iceberg lettuce at home should discard it immediately or return the product at the location where purchased for a refund
A new food safety alert is now in effect. The CDC is investigatinga multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to jalapeño peppersus Distributors
As of Aug. 13, 345 people across 27 states have been sickened with the same strain of Salmonella. Thirty-six people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Coast Citrus Distributors are recalling the affected jalapeño peppers and notifying their customers
After being notified about the outbreak, Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA stopped serving the affected jalapeño peppers. Because of those actions, neither restaurant chain is considered a current ongoing risk to consumers, the CDC says
Taylor Fresh Foods announced that it is also recalling finished products containing jalapeños tied to the Coast Citrus recall. The list of recalled products is available here. As of August 9, Taylor Fresh Foods is not aware of any reported illnesses linked to its products containing jalapeños
Virginia is not listed among the states where recalled Taylor Fresh Foods jalapeño products were distributed. However, recalled products were distributed to stores across 26 states, including several that border Virginia, such as Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina
Most people infected with Salmonelladevelop diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps six hours to six days after exposure. The illness typically lasts four to seven days and most people recover without treatment
Anyone with recalled jalapeño products should discard them immediately, and refunds are available at the location of purchase
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