Cyclospora cases surge across U.S.; health officials issue warnings

What This is

• Cyclosporiasis cases have surged across the U.S., with Michigan reporting more than 1,500 infections since late June and dozens of hospitalizations.
• The CDC has also reported hundreds of lab-confirmed cases across about 31 states, but state totals and media tallies are often higher than the CDC’s count.
• Cyclospora is usually picked up by eating or drinking something contaminated with human feces, most often through fresh produce or water used to grow or wash it.
• Investigators have not confirmed one shared food item or supplier, and some officials say there may be multiple clusters rather than one nationwide outbreak.
• Symptoms often include frequent watery diarrhea (sometimes described as “explosive”), cramps, nausea, and fatigue, and illness can last for weeks without treatment.
• Doctors say cyclospora can be missed unless a clinician orders a specific stool test for it.
• Standard treatment is a prescription antibiotic called trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (often sold as Bactrim), plus fluids to prevent dehydration.
• Health officials advise careful food handling, including washing hands and produce, sanitizing kitchen surfaces, and cooking or avoiding higher-risk items like leafy greens, herbs, and raspberries.

Why This Matters

• When officials cannot quickly name a source, people and businesses struggle to know what food is safe.
• The outbreak highlights how hard it is to track parasites in the food supply, especially when they are difficult to detect and cases are reported slowly.
• Long-lasting diarrhea can lead to dehydration and missed work or school, and people with weaker immune systems face higher risk.
• Unclear case counts can weaken public trust and slow decisions by restaurants, retailers, and health agencies.