U.S. Cyclosporiasis Cases Surge as Regulators Reassure Food Safety

A nationwide surge in cyclosporiasis—an illness caused by the parasite *Cyclospora*—has sickened more than 11,000 Americans. The disease produces diarrhea, frequent bowel movements, appetite loss, weight loss, and abdominal cramps. Multiple clusters have been identified across the country, prompting heightened attention from food-safety officials.

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The current wave follows a prior outbreak that affected five states in the Midwest and Appalachia and was traced to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms facilities in Mexico. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s investigation linked the earlier cases to the produce, testing of samples from the Mexican facility later returned negative for *Cyclospora*. The summer has also seen a series of other food-borne illness events, including a salmonella outbreak linked to eggs, an E. coli incident tied to organic blueberries, and a listeria recall of soft cheeses.

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• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 4,173 laboratory-confirmed cases since early May.

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• The CDC added that more than 7,400 additional cases remain unconfirmed and are under further investigation.

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• Combined, the confirmed and pending cases bring the national total to over 11,000 infections.

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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. characterized the outbreak as “under control.” The CDC emphasized ongoing surveillance and analysis to identify sources and mitigate spread. Food-safety experts, such as German Rios of Fresh Express, warned that the nation may not yet have reached the peak of the current cyclosporiasis wave.

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• “However, there’s a couple of challenges,” — Donald Prater, the acting deputy commissioner for food at the U — Donald Prater, the acting deputy commissioner for food at the FDA.

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