OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
8:22 AM – Saturday, July 11, 2026
Thousands of Americans across 32 states have been afflicted by a parasite linked to contaminated fresh produce that infects the intestines and causes weeks of severe diarrhea.
On Friday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health department data showed that nearly 3,000 cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported in the U.S.
The CDC explained, however, that the actual number of people sick with cyclosporiasis is likely higher than the number reported because many recover without medical intervention and are never tested for Cyclospora.
According to the CDC, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Rhode Island, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin have at least between one and 10 cases. Meanwhile, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia have between 11 and 30 cases. Illinois, Kentucky, New Jersey, North Carolina and Texas.
New York has between 81 and 160 cases of cyclospora infection.
Michigan experienced the most severe outbreak, with 161 to 300 sick people, according to the CDC. However, the state’s Health and Human Services (HHS) department reported more than 1,500 total cases, including 44 hospitalizations as of Friday afternoon, which would mark the largest outbreak in the state’s history.
The source of the outbreak, which is one of the nation’s largest in years, is not currently known. The infection can be difficult to trace back to a specific ingredient, but has been attributed in the past to fruits or vegetables that were exposed to feces-contaminated water.
Outbreaks tend to occur in late spring and summer, partially because the parasite, Cyclospora cayetanensis, thrives in the heat.
“We typically see this infection in the summer and that’s because more people are eating more imported fruits and vegetables around that time,” Dr. Natasha Bhuyan of One Medical said. “This year we’re seeing more cases of cyclosporiasis than we have before.”
“The explosive diarrhea is really hallmark,” said Dr. Bhuyan.
Doctors list loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting as other common symptoms of Cyclospora infection. The CDC characterized the “hallmark” symptom as “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements.”
According to the CDC, the timeframe between a person becoming infected and experiencing symptoms is about two days to two weeks, though some may not be symptomatic. If untreated, the illness could last from a few days to more than a month, with the possibility of a relapse of symptoms.
Doctors usually diagnose the illness by testing a stool sample.
Recommendations to avoid the illness include:
- Avoiding food or water that may be contaminated with feces;
- Thoroughly washing all fruits and vegetables under running water before preparing to eat;
- Scrubbing firm fruits and vegetables, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush, as the knife can transfer any germs from the rind into the inside fruit;
- Cutting off any damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables;
- Refrigerating cut, peeled, or cooked produce within two hours.
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