{"id":4987,"date":"2026-08-02T10:27:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T10:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/?p=4987"},"modified":"2026-08-02T10:27:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T10:27:32","slug":"cyclospora-outbreak-2026-foods-to-avoid-and-map-as-45-states-hit-with-parasite-cases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/?p=4987","title":{"rendered":"Cyclospora Outbreak 2026 Foods to Avoid and Map as 45 States Hit With Parasite Cases"},"content":{"rendered":"

<img src="https:\/\/lumeamara.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1785239415450_tdy_news_7a_kirsch_cyclospora<\/a>_260728_S3_1920x1080-0zynzn.jpg” alt=””><\/p>\n

Cyclospora, the nasty parasite known for causing \u201cexplosive diarrhea,\u201d has sickened an estimated 18,000 people across the United States this summer. Health<\/a> officials are investigating six separate outbreaks so far, as well as clusters in multiple states<\/p>\n

Current evidence points to iceberg lettuce as a possible culprit, but it\u2019s unclear if other produce could be fueling the surge<\/p>\n

Cases of the intestinal infection, aka cyclosporiasis, started ramping up in May, which matches the typical seasonal pattern of the disease in the U.S. But this summer, the U.S. has already seen dramatically more cases than its usual 3,000 per year<\/p>\n

At least 423 people have been hospitalized for cyclosporiasis nationwide. No deaths have been reported so far<\/p>\n

In July, officials identified a large, multistate cyclosporaisis outbreak in the Midwest, which has since expanded to nine states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases in other parts of the country are also rising<\/p>\n

The CDC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration have zeroed in on shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell as a potential berg lettuce<\/p>\n

The recall affects lettuce served in restaurants and sold at retailers, including Walmart<\/p>\n

Health authorities are still investigating why cases have hit record-high levels this summer, where the contaminated lettuce was sold, and whether there are other outbreak<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s where cyclosporiasis are surging in the U.S., what to know about the stomach-churning infection and how to stay safe during peak fresh produce season<\/p>\n

Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis, a microscopic parasite carried in human feces. The parasite is not new, and cases normally increase in the summer in the U.S<\/p>\n

People become infected with cyclospora by consuming food or water contaminated with particles of feces from an infected person, Kali Kniel, Ph.D., professor of microbial food safety at the University of Delaware, tells TODAY.com<\/p>\n

The parasite infects the small intestine, causing severe bowel upset. The hallmark symptom of cyclosporiasis is watery and sometimes \u201cexplosive\u201d diarrhea, per the CDC. Other signs include abdominal cramping, bloating and fatigue<\/p>\n

If left untreated, the diarrhea can last for weeks, but cyclosporiasis isn\u2019t usually life-threatening, says Kniel. Doctors can treat the infection with a combination antibiotic<\/p>\n

Person-to-person spread is very unlikely. That\u2019s because after the parasite is shed in feces, it takes one to two weeks living outside the body to mature and become infectious, says Kniel<\/p>\n

Cyclospora can get into produce if it\u2019s grown in soil or washed with water contaminated with feces; fresh fruits and vegetables are common culprits, says Kniel<\/p>\n

Nearly 18,000 confirmed or probable cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported in 45 states since May 1, per the latest CDC data as of July 28<\/p>\n

Of these, the CDC has confirmed 6,707 cases and another 11,500 are under investigation, such as ruling out international travel, agency said<\/p>\n

The people infected range in ages from 1 to 98, and the median date when their symptoms began was July 2, per the CDC<\/p>\n

This includes the cases reported as part of the massive, multistate outbreak in the Midwest. It initially spanned five states \u2014\u00a0Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia \u2014\u00a0but onJuly 24, the CDC announced that the outbreak expanded to four more states: Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania<\/p>\n

The FDA is also investigating five smaller cyclosporiasis outbreaks in the U.S., though it has not specified where they are<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s which states are reporting the most cases:<\/p>\n

Michigan is being hit the hardest. As of July 31, the state has reported 10,773 cyclosporiasis cases and 193 hospitalizations, per the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services<\/p>\n

There are some promising signs that cases may be peaking in Michigan, but the outbreak is still not over, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state\u2019s chief medical executive, told NBC News<\/p>\n

In the meantime, infections are still spiking in other states<\/p>\n

Ohio has reported over 4,000 cases, and Indiana has recorded nearly 1,200 so far. North Carolina is nearing 750 infections, and cyclosporiasis case counts have surpassed 500 in New York, Illinois and Missouri, based on data from state health departments provided to NBC News<\/p>\n

Beyond the nine-state outbreak linked to shredded lettuce, it\u2019s unclear which clusters of cases in the U.S. may be connected, and investigations are ongoing, the CDC said<\/p>\n

\u201cThere may be multiple unrelated outbreaks going on at the same time,\u201d Donald Schaffner, Ph.D., professor of food microbiology in the Department of Food Science at Rutgers University, tells TODAY.com<\/p>\n

The true number of cyclospora infections in the U.S. is likely higher than the numbers currently being reported \u2014\u00a0that\u2019s because many people recover on their own and never get tested for cyclospora, per the CDC<\/p>\n

\u201cWe anticipate continuing to see cases increase, possibly through the end of August,\u201d Gwen Biggerstaff, deputy director of the CDC\u2019s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental<\/a> Diseases, said<\/p>\n

So far, the FDA and CDC have identified one possible hredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell<\/p>\n

Health officials zeroed in on the fast-food chain after interviewing over 1,900 people sickened in these states who reported eating at Taco Bell in June or July, the FDA said<\/p>\n

Taco Bell has removed all affected lettuce from its supply chain. The supplier, Taylor Fresh Foods, issued a voluntary recall of all of its iceberg lettuce products<\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s possible that another re in the U.S. Officials in North Carolina said Tuesday that fresh parsley and cilantro may be behind the increase in cases in the state, which has surpassed 700 cases<\/p>\n

Investigations are ongoing. \u201cAdditional implicated brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels may be identified, reaching additional states,\u201d the FDA said in a July 24 update<\/p>\n

Schaffner and Kniel both suspect there\u2019s more than one food or water<\/p>\n

Past cyclosporiasis outbreaks<\/a> in the U.S. have been linked to the following foods:<\/p>\n