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
The CDC, FDA, and public health officials in several states are investigating a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora infections linked to iceberg lettuce. The outbreak was first announced by the CDC on July 14, 2026, and identified cases in 5 states. On July 16, 2026, the FDA declared shredded lettuce served by Taco Bell locations in the affected states as the outbreak source, and the supplier, Taylor Farms de Mexico of Guanajuato, Mexico voluntarily recalled multiple iceberg lettuce products distributed to 27 states and available via food service and retail stores the following day. As of August 13, 2026 the outbreak has expanded to include a total of 9,481 illnesses in 17 states.
Additional cases of cyclosporiasis continue to be identified and investigated to determine if they are domestically acquired, and part of this, or another outbreak. As of August 18, 2026 the CDC has identified 15,716 domestically acquired cases since May 1, 2026, and acknowledged an awareness of at least an additional 11,841 cases requiring laboratory confirmation or further investigation. 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.