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Cyclospora Outbreak Reported in Over 30 States; Source Not Identified
A rapidly expanding Cyclospora cayetanensis outbreak has sickened thousands across more than 30 U.S. states. Michigan alone has recorded over 2,600 cases, yet investigators have not pinpointed the contamination source.
Jul 13, 7:08 PM·1m read3 sources
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A Cyclospora cayetanensis outbreak has infected thousands of people across more than 30 U.S. states, with Michigan reporting more than 2,600 cases. Investigators have not identified any confirmed source of the contamination. The parasite causes prolonged diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and fatigue.
Health officials continue to investigate while some experts and members of the public question whether recent federal and state public health funding reductions have slowed the response.
He noted that officials are often guarded during active investigations to allow tracing of contamination. Barbara Kowalcyk, director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University, said funding cuts have affected investigation speed.
She said staffing limits make it harder to interview patients promptly, and delays can erase memory of exposures or remove contaminated food from testing.
2025 the CDC narrowed active surveillance under its Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network. Active surveillance for eight pathogens including Cyclospora was reduced while Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. Hedberg said Cyclospora remains a nationally reportable disease and that surveillance through the Nationally Notifiable Disease Surveillance System has not changed.
He added that FoodNet is not designed to detect outbreaks and many affected states fall outside its sites. The CDC's most recent published count stands at 843 cases as of July 10. State-level reports continue to exceed that figure, creating a lag that Hedberg called suboptimal for timely public updates.
Many fresh produce items are combined at restaurants before serving, further complicating efforts to isolate a single ingredient. Hedberg said multiple contamination sources remain possible and urged officials to release as much information as possible to narrow the list of suspect produce items. The CDC was contacted for comment but had not responded by publication time.
