Overview
Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora. People become infected with Cyclospora by eating or drinking contaminated food and beverages. While cyclosporiasis is usually not life threatening, it can cause symptoms lasting for several days to several weeks. Infection from Cyclospora can occur anytime during the year, but the CDC states cyclosporiasis season is between May 1 and August 31. Previous outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked back to contaminated fresh produce.
Symptoms
- Watery diarrhea
- Explosive diarrhea
- Cramping
- Bloating
- Gas
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
Other symptoms that can occur but are less common:
- Low grade fever
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Bodyaches
- Other flu like symptoms
The incubation period ranges from 2 days to 2 weeks after consumption of contaminated food or beverage, and on average is 1 week.
Current Status
On July 19, 2026, the FDA issued an update stating that after re-reviewing sample results reported on July 16, 2026, the positive Cyclospora sample should be considered a false positive after initially reporting the outbreak on July 14, 2026. Previously, the CDC reported that since May 1, 2026 it was investigating 1,645 domestically acquired cases in 34 jurisdictions, and that over 5,100 cases have not yet been classified as domestic or travel acquired. Due to the incubation period range, the sources of the outbreaks are still being determined.
Prevention
The best way to prevent a Cyclospora infection is to avoid eating foods and beverages that may be contaminated with feces. This is best achieved by doing the following:
- Wash your hands with soap and warm water before and after preparing food or beverages, after going to the bathroom, cleaning up after animals, and changing diapers
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before chopping, cooking, or eating them
- Use a produce brush on firm fruits and vegetables such as apples, carrots, cucumbers, watermelon, and other foods
- Remove any bruised or damaged areas on produce before eating and preparing them
- Store cooked, cut, and peeled produce in the refrigerator
If you are traveling to an area where Cyclospora is endemic (regularly occurring) it’s important to be aware that sanitization of food and water along with routine chemical disinfection is unlikely to kill Cyclospora.
Treatment
If you think you may be affected by cyclosporiasis, please see a healthcare provider for testing and treatment. A healthcare provider can test for cyclospora by sending several stool samples to a lab for testing. Treatment for cyclosporasis is a sulfa drug such as trimethoprim-sulfamethozazole.