If you ever wanted a good excuse to skip the fresh salad for lunch, here’s one. Reports of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic foodborne illness that can cause explosive bouts of diarrhea, are skyrocketing in several parts of the country, and federal health officials are finally sounding the alarm about it after weeks of media reports.
As of Wednesday, thousands of cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported in more than 30 states. However, the actual toll is likely higher and it took weeks for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to formally determine recognize the possibility of a connected outbreak in several Midwestern states. No specific food source has been identified so far linked to these cases, although local health officials have pointed to lettuce or salad greens as possible culprits that residents of these hot spots should avoid.
A delayed alert
Cyclosporiasis is caused by several species of microscopic parasites. cyclosporapredominantly Cyclospora cayatenensis. Although rarely life-threatening, the disease is famous for causing Attacks of watery and explosively noisy diarrhea, along with other common symptoms of gastrointestinal illnesses.
Cyclosporiasis is endemic in tropical and subtropical parts of the world, and cases in the United States tend to be traced to foods imported from these areas (particularly agricultural products) or to people who initially contracted the disease while traveling to these endemic regions. The incidence of cyclosporiasis appears to be growing Around the world, though, and 2026 is shaping up to be an especially bad year for the United States.
On July 1, the CDC first fixed that as of mid-June, 145 cases from 17 states had been notified to the agency. However, even then it was clear that the CDC reports were woefully out of date. By July 4, health officials in Michigan (a state not included in the CDC’s initial count) had reported more than 500 cases in the state, which already triples the amount reported less than a week before. It would take two more weeks, on July 14, for the CDC formally issue a health warning about growing clusters.
As of July 15, CDC has received reports of 1,645 confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis dating back to May 1, along with at least 141 people who were hospitalized as a result (no deaths). The agency is also aware of more than 5,100 cases that require further analysis before they can be classified as domestic cases.
Cyclosporiasis cases occur every year in the US, with the usual seasonal peak occurring between May and August. So some of these cases are part of the pattern we would expect to see this time of year. But it has also become clear that this is not a typical season overall, and that some states are being hit especially hard by the explosive diarrhea virus.
According to the CDC, only 249 cases were reported nationally at this time last year. And while the CDC previously fixed there was “no evidence of a single and multistate cyclospora outbreak” linking cases, is now investigating a potentially linked outbreak in four Midwestern states: Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky. At least 400 confirmed cases have been linked to this single cluster, although the agency is aware of more reports. Michigan alone has reported 2,640 cases as of Monday, while Ohio has reported more than 300.
All these figures are an underestimate. People typically don’t go to the doctor when they get sick from a foodborne illness, and cyclosporiasis is even more difficult to diagnose than other similar infections, requiring more specialized tests that aren’t readily available.
It’s also worth noting that the CDC chose cut back on its active surveillance of cyclosporiasis and other foodborne illnesses last year, possibly due to funding cuts from the Trump administration.
to do
Cyclosporiasis is transmitted by eating food and water contaminated with parasites shed from the feces of an infected carrier. However, infections are usually not transmitted directly from person to person, as it takes several weeks for fecal parasites to mature and become infectious.
Health officials in Michigan and other possibly linked states have not identified a specific type of product, producer or supplier implicated in these outbreaks, but some common threads may already be emerging.
“Initial information has shown that lettuce is a common product that appears regularly during research,” said Natasha Bagdasarian, medical director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, in a statement Monday, and federal and local health officials are reportedly It is also investigating whether Taco Bell restaurants could be linked to the Midwest group.
Unless you live in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, or Kentucky, you probably shouldn’t worry too much about the risk of contracting cyclosporiasis with your next salad (at least right now).
That said, health experts always recommend wash hands with soap and water before and after handling or preparing raw fruits and vegetables; Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking them (if the product is labeled pre-washed, there is no need to do this again), and refrigerate cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables as soon as possible (within two hours if possible).
