Health Journal Online

Tag: Cyclospora

  • Michigan Officials Released Specific Produce Washing Instructions During the Cyclospora Outbreak

    Michigan Officials Released Specific Produce Washing Instructions During the Cyclospora Outbreak

    Michigan health officials have released specific, produce-by-produce washing and handling instructions for consumers as the state’s Cyclospora outbreak surpassed 1,562 confirmed cases as of July 10, 2026 — the largest outbreak of the parasitic illness in Michigan’s history, and the source of which remains unidentified.

    The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released its detailed prevention guidance on July 4 and July 6, 2026, issuing instructions that go further than general “wash your produce” advice — spelling out, vegetable by vegetable, exactly what consumers should buy, how to prepare it, and when cooking is the safest choice.

    No specific produce grower, supplier, or food type has been identified as the source of the outbreak as of July 10.

    Why This Matters

    Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic parasite that attaches tenaciously to produce surfaces — and standard washing does not guarantee its removal. The CDC notes that Cyclospora can cling to leafy vegetables and herbs in ways that make thorough removal challenging, which is why officials recommend specific preparation methods that reduce risk beyond a simple rinse.

    With more than 1,562 cases confirmed in Michigan and several hundred additional cases in adjacent areas of Ohio and other states, and with no food source yet named, consumers do not have a specific product to avoid. That gap makes produce safety guidance from health officials especially important: without knowing which item is contaminated, the most prudent approach is to take extra precautions with all fresh produce linked to prior Cyclospora outbreaks.

    Michigan officials have emphasized these recommendations for anyone preparing raw produce — especially people who are immunocompromised, elderly, on chemotherapy, or otherwise at higher risk of serious illness from dehydration or infection. The MDHHS also extended the guidance to restaurants and commercial kitchens in southeast Michigan.

    What We Know So Far

    The MDHHS outbreak dashboard showed 1,562 confirmed cases as of the morning of July 10, 2026. Cases have been reported in at least 44 Michigan counties, concentrated in Monroe, Wayne, Washtenaw, Lenawee, Shiawassee, Jackson, Oakland, and Livingston counties — all in southeastern Michigan.

    The outbreak began June 22, 2026. Michigan typically sees 40 to 50 cases per year; the current outbreak has produced more than 30 times the annual average in under three weeks.

    Approximately 44 hospitalized cases have been reported to date, according to the MDHHS dashboard. No deaths have been reported.

    The CDC and FDA are assisting Michigan investigators with whole-genome sequencing of parasite isolates and epidemiological traceback. As of July 10, no common food vehicle has been identified despite more than two weeks of active investigation.

    The Produce-Specific Safety Guide From MDHHS

    The following instructions are drawn directly from MDHHS official guidance released July 4–6, 2026, confirmed across multiple MDHHS communications and media outlets.

    Lettuce and Leafy Greens

    What to buy: Buy whole heads of lettuce rather than pre-washed, bagged lettuce or salad mixes. Pre-cut and pre-washed bagged salad kits have been linked to prior Cyclospora outbreaks in the U.S. and Canada.

    How to prepare: Remove and discard the outer two to three leaves. Wash the remaining inner leaves thoroughly under running water.

    Safest option: For leafy greens that can be cooked, cooking is the safest option. Cooking to 158°F (70°C) or higher kills the Cyclospora parasite.

    Cilantro and Basil

    How to prepare: Wash thoroughly under running water. Separate the individual leaves from the stems as you wash — this increases the surface area that running water contacts and reduces the chance of parasite survival between leaves.

    Safest option: Both cilantro and basil are safest when cooked. Using them as cooked ingredients in hot dishes reduces exposure risk more than using them raw.

    Note: MDHHS did not recommend consumers stop buying or eating cilantro and basil. The guidance is about safe preparation, not elimination of these foods.

    Green Onions

    How to prepare: Trim the root end. Remove and discard the outer layer. Wash the remainder thoroughly under running water.

    Safest option: As with leafy greens, cooking green onions eliminates parasite risk. Use them in stir-fries, soups, or other hot preparations when possible during the outbreak.

    Other Produce: Universal Rules

    For all other fruits and vegetables, MDHHS recommends:

    • Wash all fresh produce under clean running water before eating or preparing, even produce with rinds or peels you do not eat
    • Scrub firm fruits and vegetables — such as melons, cucumbers, and potatoes — with a clean produce brush
    • Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables before eating
    • Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after handling or preparing any produce
    • Wash and sanitize cutting boards, knives, and other utensils before and after contact with raw produce

    The Heating Rule: 158°F Kills Cyclospora

    The single most reliable way to eliminate Cyclospora from produce is heat. MDHHS confirms that cooking food to 158°F (70°C) or higher kills the parasite. This applies to any produce on the concern list. If you can cook it, do.

    What Not to Buy During the Outbreak

    MDHHS has specifically noted that the following have been linked to prior U.S. and Canadian Cyclospora outbreaks, and should be treated with extra caution:

    • Pre-washed, bagged salad mixes and kits (including pre-cut lettuce blends with romaine, iceberg, red cabbage, and carrots)
    • Fresh cilantro
    • Fresh basil
    • Green onions
    • Raspberries (linked to prior outbreaks, though not specifically identified as a source in this outbreak)
    • Snow peas

    MDHHS is not advising consumers to stop buying these items entirely — only to apply the specific preparation steps above, choose cooked preparations where possible, and avoid pre-washed bagged versions of lettuce.

    Where the Risk Is Highest

    Southeastern Michigan and the areas immediately across the Ohio border (including Lucas County and northwest Ohio, where more than 500 cases have been reported) represent the current epicenter of risk. However, because no food source has been identified, and because fresh produce from Michigan’s supply region is distributed nationally, these guidelines are relevant for consumers across the Midwest and beyond who buy fresh produce from common grocery chains and distributors.

    People at highest risk for serious illness from Cyclospora include:

    • Immunocompromised individuals (transplant recipients, chemotherapy patients, people with HIV)
    • Adults over 65
    • Infants and young children
    • Pregnant individuals

    MDHHS specifically noted that the guidance is especially important for these groups.

    What Health Officials Say

    Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive, said the state’s leading hypothesis is that the outbreak is likely related to fresh produce, based on the geographic pattern of cases, the timing of the outbreak during summer produce season, and the historical pattern of Cyclospora outbreaks in North America. She confirmed the state is conducting food exposure interviews with all confirmed cases and performing whole-genome sequencing on parasite samples to narrow the search for a common source.

    “All fresh produce — and not just the ones I listed — should be thoroughly washed under running water,” Dr. Bagdasarian stated in public communications this week. “If it has leaves, like cilantro and basil, separate them as you wash them.”

    The CDC adds that Cyclospora can really stick to some foods, and washing alone may not fully eliminate the risk from contaminated produce — reinforcing that cooking is the most reliable protective step available to consumers right now.

    Symptoms and Warning Signs to Watch For

    Cyclospora typically causes symptoms beginning one week after exposure, though onset can range from two days to more than two weeks. Symptoms include:

    • Watery diarrhea, which can be frequent and explosive
    • Loss of appetite
    • Prolonged fatigue
    • Abdominal cramping and bloating
    • Nausea, and occasionally vomiting
    • Low-grade fever

    Without antibiotic treatment, symptoms can persist for weeks to months and may relapse after seeming to improve. The illness does not spread person-to-person.

    Seek medical care if:

    • Diarrhea lasts more than a few days
    • Symptoms include signs of dehydration (very little urination, dry mouth, dizziness)
    • You are immunocompromised, elderly, pregnant, or caring for a young child with symptoms
    • Symptoms worsened rather than improving

    A specific laboratory request is needed for Cyclospora diagnosis. Standard stool testing does not always detect the parasite. Ask your clinician specifically to test for Cyclospora if you suspect exposure.

    What You Can Do Now

    • Switch to whole-head lettuce. Put down the bagged salad mix and buy an intact head of romaine, iceberg, or butter lettuce. Remove the outer leaves before washing the inner ones.
    • Wash herbs leaf by leaf under running water. For cilantro and basil, separate the individual leaves from stems as you rinse.
    • Trim and peel green onions before washing. Remove the root end and outer layer, then wash thoroughly.
    • Cook produce when you can. During an active Cyclospora outbreak with an unknown source, cooking any fresh produce at risk to 158°F eliminates parasite risk more reliably than washing alone.
    • Wash hands before and after produce handling. Use soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
    • Sanitize surfaces and tools that contact raw produce, including cutting boards and knives.
    • See a doctor if you develop prolonged diarrhea, particularly if you live in southeast Michigan or adjacent Ohio counties. Specify that you want to be tested for Cyclospora.

    Cost and Access: What Patients Should Know

    Cyclospora treatment with the antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is available in generic form at very low cost — typically $4 to $10 at most pharmacies with a prescription. Most health insurance plans cover it.

    The parasite-specific stool test required for diagnosis is typically covered by insurance when ordered by a clinician. For uninsured patients, local health department clinics can provide evaluation and testing during an active outbreak at no or low cost. Find your local Michigan health department at Michigan.gov/mdhhs.

    What Happens Next

    The MDHHS outbreak dashboard updates daily through the investigation period. Whole-genome sequencing results comparing parasite samples across cases could provide the key link to a common food source — a result that could trigger a specific product recall or advisory.

    If a food source is identified, MDHHS, the FDA, and CDC will issue a public advisory and, if warranted, a product recall notice. Until then, the produce preparation guidance described in this article represents the most protective steps available to consumers.

    MedicalDaily will update this story when a food source is identified or case counts change materially.

    The Bottom Line

    Michigan’s Cyclospora outbreak has now reached 1,562 confirmed cases with no food source identified. Until investigators pinpoint a specific product, your best protection is: buy whole heads of lettuce rather than pre-cut bagged mixes; separate and wash cilantro and basil leaves thoroughly under running water; trim and peel green onions before washing; cook any suspect produce to 158°F when possible; and see a clinician for any diarrheal illness lasting more than a few days, specifying that you want Cyclospora testing. These are not suggestions — they are official MDHHS instructions, and they apply nationally given the reach of produce supply chains.

    Source link

  • Michigan Has More Than 300 Cyclospora Cases and No Food Source Has Been Found

    Michigan Has More Than 300 Cyclospora Cases and No Food Source Has Been Found

    More than 300 people in southeast Michigan have been diagnosed with Cyclosporiasis — a parasitic intestinal illness — since June 22, 2026. The count was 170 on July 1 and jumped to more than 300 by July 3, an increase of 130 cases in 48 hours. Health officials have called it a “large and growing outbreak,” and no food source has yet been identified.

    The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the outbreak in Monroe, Lenawee, Washtenaw, Wayne, Livingston, Shiawassee, and Jackson counties — with an additional 24 cases across 11 other Michigan counties, including the city of Detroit. The typical annual count for all of Michigan is around 50 cases. This outbreak has already produced six times that number.

    What makes this especially frustrating for patients and clinicians: the standard stool test used to diagnose acute diarrhea does not detect Cyclospora.

    Why This Matters

    When a patient presents to an urgent care clinic, emergency room, or primary care physician with acute diarrhea, the reflex diagnostic order is typically a “routine stool culture” — a test that screens for common bacterial pathogens including Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella, and E. coli.

    Cyclospora cayetanensis, the microscopic parasite that causes Cyclosporiasis, is not detected by a routine stool culture. Identifying it requires a specific laboratory request: a modified acid-fast stain or a Cyclospora-specific PCR. Most clinicians treating acute diarrheal illness in Michigan — or anywhere — do not automatically order these tests.

    The result: patients with Cyclospora may receive a “negative stool test” result, be told their illness is likely viral, and go weeks without the correct diagnosis and effective antibiotic treatment. Untreated, Cyclosporiasis can last weeks to months, with symptoms that repeatedly relapse.

    What We Know So Far

    From the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Click on Detroit / NBC News:

    • Confirmed cases as of July 1: More than 170 in 7 southeast Michigan counties
    • Confirmed cases as of July 3: More than 300 (up from 170 in 48 hours)
    • Additional cases: 24 more in 11 other Michigan counties, including Detroit
    • Age range: 8 to 84 years; median age 41
    • Typical annual Michigan total: 50 cases per year
    • Current count: Approximately 6 times the typical annual total
    • Food source: Not yet identified; investigation ongoing by MDHHS and MDARD
    • National context: Nationally, the CDC has confirmed 145 Cyclosporiasis cases in 17 states as of June 16, 2026 — Michigan cases are not included in this national count

    “Outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been occurring across the United States and now here in Michigan,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Chief Medical Executive at MDHHS. “Based on the unusual number of cases we have identified in a little over a week, we anticipate additional cases of illness being reported.”

    Where the Risk Is Highest

    The seven-county cluster in southeast Michigan defines the primary outbreak zone:

    • Monroe County: 67+ confirmed cases as of July 1 — the county with the highest confirmed count
    • Wayne County: Includes Detroit and is confirmed in the outbreak cluster
    • Lenawee, Washtenaw, Livingston, Shiawassee, and Jackson Counties: All confirmed in the outbreak

    The concentration of cases in this specific geographic area suggests a common exposure source — likely a food product distributed in this region during the incubation window before June 22. The investigation by MDHHS and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) is focused on identifying that product.

    What the MDHHS and Local Health Officials Say

    “We currently have 67 cases in Monroe County. We are currently investigating the source. This is caused by an intestinal parasite. It’s from contaminated food,” said Lindsay Patrick with the Monroe County Health Department in a statement to WXYZ Detroit.

    Jennifer Bonsky, Director of the Human Food Division at MDARD, stated: “MDARD is committed to ensuring food safety across the state and is working in partnership with local health departments to identify the source of the outbreak and keep consumers safe.”

    Clinicians at Michigan hospitals and urgent care clinics are being specifically urged to consider Cyclosporiasis in patients presenting with acute gastrointestinal illness — and to order the correct diagnostic test.

    What the Evidence Shows — and What It Does Not

    MedicalDaily Evidence Check

    • Data source: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services; Monroe County Health Department; NBC News; Click on Detroit
    • Cases as of July 3: 300+ in 7 southeast Michigan counties; investigation ongoing
    • Food source: Not yet identified; no recall issued
    • What the data show: A large, rapidly growing parasitic outbreak concentrated in a specific geographic area in southeast Michigan — consistent with a contaminated food product with regional distribution
    • What is not yet known: The specific food, supplier, or contamination source
    • Critical diagnostic limitation: Standard stool cultures do not detect Cyclospora; a specific modified acid-fast stain or PCR test is required

    Who Faces the Greatest Risk?

    Any person who consumed fresh produce in the affected Michigan counties in late May or June 2026 is potentially exposed. The highest clinical risk for prolonged illness includes:

    • Immunocompromised individuals, for whom Cyclosporiasis can last significantly longer and require more intensive treatment
    • Older adults
    • Individuals who have already experienced weeks of diarrhea with no diagnosis — who may be infected and untreated

    Symptoms and Warning Signs to Watch For

    Cyclosporiasis symptoms include:

    • Frequent, sometimes explosive watery diarrhea — the hallmark symptom
    • Stomach cramping and bloating
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Loss of appetite
    • Fatigue and muscle aches
    • Low-grade fever

    The most diagnostically important feature: Cyclosporiasis often waxes and wanes— symptoms improve for a few days, then return. A patient who received a negative standard stool test and was told their illness is viral may actually have untreated Cyclospora if their symptoms have persisted or recurred.

    What You Can Do Now

    • If you live in Monroe, Lenawee, Washtenaw, Wayne, Livingston, Shiawassee, or Jackson counties and have had prolonged, recurring diarrhea since late May or June, contact your healthcare provider.
    • Tell your physician specifically: “I want to be tested for Cyclospora. I need a modified acid-fast stain or a Cyclospora-specific PCR, not just a routine stool culture.”
    • Do not assume a negative routine stool test rules out Cyclospora. It does not.
    • If you have already had a “negative stool test” but symptoms have persisted or returned, go back to your provider and ask specifically for Cyclospora testing.
    • Effective treatment is available: The antibiotic combination trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim) is highly effective for Cyclosporiasis. Without a correct diagnosis, you will not receive it.

    Cost and Access: What Patients Should Know

    Cyclospora-specific testing must be specifically requested by a physician. The test is covered by most insurance plans; generic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim) is available at most pharmacies for under $10 with a GoodRx discount.

    Patients without primary care access can contact their county health department or a community health center. Monroe County residents with questions can contact the Monroe County Health Department directly.

    What Happens Next

    MDHHS and MDARD are continuing the investigation to identify the contaminated food source. The case count, already at more than 300 and still growing, is expected to rise further as health officials expand testing and surveillance. MedicalDaily will report immediately when a food source is identified or a recall is issued.

    The Bottom Line

    More than 300 people in southeast Michigan have been diagnosed with a parasitic intestinal illness in under two weeks — six times the state’s typical annual total. No food source has been found. And the most common diagnostic test ordered for acute diarrhea does not detect this parasite. If you have had prolonged or recurring watery diarrhea in the affected counties since late May, you need a Cyclospora-specific test — not a routine stool culture. Ask for it by name.

    Source link

  • The CDC Is Investigating Multiple Cyclospora Outbreaks, and This Parasite Is Particularly Hard to Trace

    The CDC Is Investigating Multiple Cyclospora Outbreaks, and This Parasite Is Particularly Hard to Trace

    A parasitic illness is spreading across the United States this summer, and after weeks of investigation, federal health officials still cannot identify the specific food responsible for making people sick. The frustrating lack of a recall announcement is not a failure of urgency — it is a reflection of how uniquely difficult this particular parasite is to track.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 145 domestically acquired cases of Cyclospora cayetanensis infection in 17 states, with illness onset dates from May 1 through June 7, 2026. Three people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. But the case count is almost certainly a substantial undercount, and the absence of a specific food recall does not mean the outbreak is over.

    Why This Matters

    Cyclospora is not a pathogen that clinicians or patients typically think about first when gastrointestinal illness strikes. It requires a specific test that most clinical labs do not routinely run. It has an incubation period of 1 to 2 weeks — long enough that by the time patients seek care, they may not clearly remember what they ate that could have been contaminated. And it contaminates at the farm or irrigation level, not during processing, making the traceback chain longer and harder to follow.

    The result is predictable: most infected people are never diagnosed, the food source takes weeks or months to identify, and even after the source is found, the implicated product has often already moved through the supply chain and been consumed. Summer is the peak season for Cyclospora in the United States, meaning the number of cases is expected to grow before it peaks.

    What We Know So Far

    From CDC’s Cyclospora surveillance data current as of June 16, 2026, and FDA outbreak investigation table:

    • 145 confirmed U.S.-acquired cases in 17 states
    • 20 hospitalizations confirmed among cases with information available
    • No deaths reported
    • Illness onset dates: May 1 through June 7, 2026; median onset May 19
    • Median patient age: 43 years; 62 percent female
    • 45 travel-associated cases confirmed separately (patients ill while outside the United States)
    • Only 45 of the 145 domestic cases involve people who reported recent international travel — confirming a domestic food source is responsible
    • Michigan: More than 150 cases in 7 counties reported by state health officials — a count not yet included in the CDC’s 17-state national total
    • New York leads confirmed state counts at approximately 80 cases; Texas and Illinois each report up to 30
    • Food source: Not yet identified. No recall has been issued.

    Where the Risk Is Highest

    Cyclospora illness has been reported in 17 states, with no single geographic cluster that would suggest a local exposure. That distribution is consistent with contaminated produce distributed nationally — a pattern seen in every major Cyclospora outbreak in the United States since the 1990s.

    Prior outbreaks have repeatedly linked to fresh produce from Mexico and Central America, particularly cilantro, basil, fresh leafy greens, arugula, and bagged salad kits. The 2018 Cyclospora outbreak sickened more than 511 people across the Midwest and was linked to a fast-food chain’s salad mix. In 2020, fresh cilantro from a Texas distributor sourcing from Mexico was implicated in an Alabama cluster.

    Until a specific product is identified in this investigation, no targeted recall can be issued — and public health guidance must remain general: exercise caution with fresh herbs and leafy greens, particularly those imported from high-risk regions during the summer months.

    The Three Reasons Cyclospora Is So Difficult to Trace

    1. The incubation period makes exposure memory unreliable. Cyclospora has a 1-to-2-week incubation period between exposure and symptom onset. By the time a person seeks medical care, they typically cannot accurately recall every meal from the past 10 to 14 days. This makes dietary recall interviews — the primary tool for identifying contaminated foods — less reliable than in outbreaks caused by faster-acting pathogens like Salmonella, where the exposure meal is typically more recent.

    2. The parasite is not detected by standard stool testing. Standard clinical stool cultures do not include Cyclospora testing. A physician must specifically order a modified acid-fast stain or a direct fluorescence assay for Cyclospora, or a PCR-based test in clinical labs that offer it. Most primary care physicians and emergency physicians seeing a patient with prolonged diarrhea in the summer do not reflexively order Cyclospora testing — because most GI illness is caused by something else. This means the majority of Cyclospora cases go undiagnosed, and those that are diagnosed often experience significant delays.

    3. The contamination occurs at the farm or irrigation level, not during processing. Unlike foodborne bacterial contamination that can often be traced to a specific processing step or facility, Cyclospora contamination of produce typically occurs when irrigation water contaminated with human feces contacts crops in the field. This farm-level contamination makes traceback investigations far more complex — and means that the same contaminated irrigation source may affect multiple products from the same farm, complicating identification of a single “suspect” item.

    What Doctors and Experts Say

    The CDC’s clinical guidance for Cyclospora explicitly notes that health care providers should specifically request Cyclospora testing when they see patients with prolonged or recurring watery diarrhea, particularly from May through August.

    “Cyclospora is one of those infections that really tests physicians’ diagnostic instincts,” infectious disease specialists have noted in public health communications. The infection is treatable — a full course of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim) typically resolves illness — but the window in which to catch it relies on knowing to order the right test.

    What the Evidence Shows — and What It Does Not

    The CDC has explicitly stated there is no evidence of a single, unified nationwide Cyclospora outbreak. The 145 confirmed cases reflect a surveillance count of domestically acquired infections across the United States during the summer peak season, with multiple clusters currently under separate traceback investigation.

    MedicalDaily Evidence Check

    • Investigation status: Active multistate investigation, multiple clusters
    • Confirmed U.S. cases: 145 in 17 states (as of June 16, 2026); true total likely substantially higher
    • Food source: Not yet identified; no recall issued
    • What the data show: Domestic food exposure is confirmed as the primary driver (only 45 of 145 cases involve recent international travel)
    • What remains unknown: Specific implicated product or supplier
    • What readers should know: Cyclospora requires a specific lab test not included in standard stool cultures; prolonged diarrhea lasting more than a week warrants evaluation and explicit testing for this parasite

    Who Faces the Greatest Risk?

    Anyone who has consumed fresh produce — particularly leafy greens, fresh herbs like cilantro and basil, or bagged salad mixes — since May 1, 2026, could potentially have been exposed. However, certain groups are more likely to develop prolonged or serious illness:

    • Immunocompromised individuals, including organ transplant recipients, people with HIV, and cancer patients on chemotherapy, who may develop severe or prolonged disease
    • Adults who consume large quantities of fresh herbs and leafy greens regularly
    • Older adults, in whom infection can last longer and cause more significant weight loss and dehydration

    Symptoms and Warning Signs to Watch For

    The hallmark symptom of Cyclospora infection is:

    • Frequent, watery, sometimes explosive diarrhea that waxes and wanes over days to weeks
    • Cramping and bloating
    • Nausea and decreased appetite
    • Fatigue and muscle aches
    • Low-grade fever

    Without treatment, symptoms can last weeks and frequently return in cycles. If you have had persistent, recurring watery diarrhea lasting more than a week — especially if standard tests have come back negative — ask your doctor specifically about Cyclospora testing. Standard stool cultures do not detect this parasite unless specifically requested.

    What You Can Do Now

    • If you have prolonged or recurring diarrhea, see a clinician and specifically ask about Cyclospora testing. Use the words: “I want to be tested for Cyclospora, not just a standard stool culture.”
    • Do not self-treat with over-the-counter antidiarrheal medications as a substitute for diagnosis. If the cause is Cyclospora, antibiotic treatment is needed.
    • Wash all fresh produce thoroughly under running water before eating. While washing does not kill Cyclospora (the parasite resists standard disinfection), it reduces other surface contamination.
    • Exercise caution with fresh herbs — particularly cilantro, basil, and arugula purchased in bulk or from salad bars — until a food source is identified.
    • If you are immunocompromised, discuss your risk level with your physician.

    Cost and Access: What Patients Should Know

    Testing for Cyclospora requires a specific physician order for a modified acid-fast stain or PCR Cyclospora test. Treatment with generic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim) is inexpensive — often under $10 with a GoodRx discount at most pharmacies.

    For patients without a primary care provider, urgent care clinics and community health centers can order Cyclospora-specific stool testing. People experiencing severe dehydration, blood in the stool, or inability to keep fluids down should seek emergency care.

    What Happens Next

    The FDA and CDC are continuing traceback investigations into multiple clusters. New case data will be posted at CDC’s Cyclospora surveillance page as the investigation progresses. When a food source is identified, the FDA will issue a public advisory and, if a specific product is implicated, initiate or request a recall.

    MedicalDaily will report immediately when a food source is confirmed or a recall is issued.

    The Bottom Line

    The absence of a Cyclospora food recall is not reassurance — it is a reflection of how difficult this parasite is to trace. The investigation is active, the case count is almost certainly higher than reported, and summer is the peak exposure period. If you have had prolonged, waxing-and-waning diarrhea since May and standard tests have not identified a cause, ask specifically for Cyclospora testing. Treatment is effective once the correct diagnosis is made.

    Source link