A parasitic intestinal illness is spreading rapidly across the United States, with nearly 7,000 cases now confirmed in at least 34 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cyclosporiasis, caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, has hit Texas as well, where state health officials have confirmed 68 cases. Federal, state and local health authorities are racing to pinpoint the contaminated food or water source behind the surge as the outbreak’s traditional May through August season stretches into its most active weeks.
What exactly is cyclosporiasis, and how does someone catch it?
Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal disease caused by a single-celled parasite that lives in the human intestine. People become infected by eating food or drinking water contaminated with the parasite’s oocysts, most often through fresh produce exposed to contaminated soil or irrigation water during growing, harvesting or processing. The illness does not spread person to person, distinguishing it from many other outbreak prone pathogens. Past U.S. outbreaks have been traced to raspberries, basil, cilantro, snow peas, mesclun lettuce and bagged salad kits, and investigators have not ruled out any of these categories this year.
How bad is the outbreak right now, nationally and in Texas?
The CDC’s latest tally counts 1,645 confirmed domestically acquired cases since May 1, with more than 5,100 additional reports still under review to confirm domestic origin, a dramatic jump from the 249 cases reported by this point last year. Roughly 9% of cases with hospitalization data required inpatient care, and no deaths have been reported nationally. A cluster of more than 400 epidemiologically linked cases spans Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky, with Michigan alone reporting over 300 cases since late June, far above its typical annual count of around 50. In Texas, the Department of State Health Services reported 68 lab confirmed cases matching the CDC’s outbreak definition as of July 13, with 15 hospitalizations and no deaths. Cases have surfaced in at least 10 Texas counties, including Dallas, Tarrant, Denton and Harris, with local officials describing the state’s numbers as only somewhat elevated for the season so far.
Why is this happening now, and why does it seem larger this year?
Case counts climb every spring and summer as fresh produce consumption rises, but officials say this year’s scale and geographic spread are unusual. Investigators are still determining whether the various clusters trace to one shared source or several unrelated ones, complicated by an incubation period of one to two weeks that makes it hard for patients to recall everything they ate. Reporting has also noted the CDC’s response is unfolding alongside a reduced federal public health workforce following broad staffing cuts, a factor some former agency personnel and outside observers say strains the speed and depth of outbreak tracing at the federal and state levels.
What are health authorities and doctors telling the public?
The CDC has issued a health advisory urging clinicians to consider cyclosporiasis in patients with prolonged or relapsing watery diarrhea during summer months, even without recent international travel, and to specifically request Cyclospora stool testing rather than routine parasite screening, which often misses it. A CDC foodborne disease official told reporters this week that Cyclospora investigations are especially time consuming and labor-intensive. State agencies including Texas DSHS and Michigan’s health department have echoed the call for heightened clinical suspicion and issued produce handling guidance, including buying whole heads of lettuce rather than pre-cut bagged blends and discarding outer leaves before use.
What symptoms should people watch for, and when should they see a doctor?
Typical symptoms include watery diarrhea, sometimes described as explosive, along with loss of appetite, weight loss, bloating, nausea, cramping and fatigue. Less common signs include low grade fever and vomiting. Symptoms generally begin about a week after exposure but can appear two to fourteen days later, and untreated illness can follow a remitting relapsing pattern lasting weeks or longer. Officials recommend seeking care for diarrhea lasting more than a few days, particularly with fatigue or appetite loss, since prescription antibiotics effectively treat confirmed infections. Immunocompromised individuals, young children and elderly patients face higher risk of severe or prolonged illness.
What precautions can residents take right now?
Health departments urge thorough hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food, scrubbing firm produce like melons and cucumbers with a clean brush, and cutting away bruised or damaged sections before eating. Rinsing all fresh produce under running water is advised even when labeled pre-washed, since chemical sanitizing alone does not reliably eliminate the parasite. Cooking produce to at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit kills Cyclospora, though many implicated items are typically eaten raw. Anyone with persistent gastrointestinal symptoms is encouraged to contact a healthcare provider and local health department, both for testing and treatment and to assist investigators tracing the outbreak’s source.
This story is developing. FOU News will continue to follow developments as authorities release updated case counts and source investigation findings.
