TL;DR: A Cyclospora parasite outbreak sickened 145 people in 17 states with 20 hospitalizations and no deaths as of June 16, 2026, with no food source yet identified.

145 domestic cases reported with no source identified

An outbreak of infections from the Cyclospora parasite had impacted 145 people, and the source of the parasite had not yet been determined, according to Food Safety News.

Patients had been reported by 17 states, according to Food Safety News. These people became sick after eating food in the United States and did not report any travel during the 14 days before they got sick.

The case total reflected domestically acquired cyclosporiasis in the United States, according to Food Poison Journal. As of June 16, 2026, 145 cases were reported in people who acquired cyclosporiasis in the United States.

Those patients also became sick after eating food in the United States and did not report any travel during the 14 days before they got sick, according to Food Poison Journal. Investigations to identify potential sources were ongoing.

A map showed where the 145 people with cyclosporiasis acquired in the United States since May 1, 2026, lived. Cyclosporiasis cases may not be limited to these states with known cases.

Who became ill and when illness began

Sick people ranged in age from 5 to 86 years, with a median age of 42, according to Food Safety News. The median illness onset date was May 13, with a range of May 1 to June 6.

Of 145 people with information available, 20 were hospitalized, according to Food Safety News. No deaths had been reported.

Among the patients, 61% were female, according to Food Poison Journal. That report also listed a median age of 42 and a median illness onset date of May 13, 2026, with a range of May 1 to June 6.

The age span, hospitalization count, and absence of reported deaths were consistent across the two reports. The illness-onset window placed exposures in early May through early June.

The 2026 outbreak season began on May 1, according to Food Poison Journal. Case counts rise during the spring and summer months, and the cyclosporiasis season is considered May 1 through August 31.

Investigators are examining multistate clusters

Local, state, and federal public health authorities were investigating several clusters of cases in more than one state, according to Food Safety News. Investigations to identify potential sources were ongoing.

Local, state, and federal public health authorities identified in the second report included CDC and FDA, according to Food Poison Journal. Those agencies were investigating several clusters of cases in more than one state.

CDC, along with state and federal health and regulatory officials, monitor cases of cyclosporiasis year-round to detect outbreaks linked to a common food source in the United States, according to Food Poison Journal. This monitoring aids in swiftly identifying and investigating outbreaks in the United States.

Cyclosporiasis also can be acquired when people eat or drink contaminated food or water during travel outside the United States, according to Food Poison Journal. The 145 cases in the current count involved people who acquired illness in the United States and reported no travel during the 14 days before they got sick.

CDC and other agencies were working to further develop and validate molecular-level tools for linking Cyclospora cases, according to Food Poison Journal. Clusters of cyclosporiasis cases have been detected outside the May-through-August range in some years.

True illnesses are likely higher than reported

The true number of people sick with cyclosporiasis is likely higher than the number reported, according to Food Safety News. This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Cyclospora.

The same explanation for undercounting appeared in the second account, according to Food Poison Journal. The true number of people sick with cyclosporiasis was likely higher than the number reported because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Cyclospora.

That testing gap matters for nutrition and food-safety surveillance because undetected infections do not enter outbreak datasets. Without a test result, an illness cannot be linked to a cluster under investigation.

The published map therefore showed where the 145 people with domestically acquired illness since May 1, 2026, lived, rather than the full extent of infection. Officials noted that cases may not be limited to states with known cases.

Consumers who eat fresh produce regularly may find this context useful during peak season. The reports did not identify a specific product to avoid in this outbreak.

Cyclosporiasis is nationally notifiable in most jurisdictions

Cyclosporiasis is a nationally notifiable disease and is reportable in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City, according to Food Safety News. Even if it is not reportable in a state, it is important for healthcare providers and the public to inform local health departments about potential cases and clusters of the disease so that they can take appropriate action to prevent additional cases.

The same reporting scope and guidance were described by Food Poison Journal. Cyclosporiasis is reportable in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City, and notification remains important even where reporting is not required.

That notification step allows local health departments to take appropriate action to prevent additional cases. Provider and public reports can help identify potential cases and clusters.

Year-round monitoring by CDC with state and federal health and regulatory officials is intended to detect outbreaks linked to a common food source in the United States, according to Food Poison Journal. Rapid identification and investigation depend on those incoming reports.

For readers, the practical point is direct: tell a local health department about a potential case or cluster. The reports described that step as important for prevention of additional cases.

Symptoms, testing, and treatment

Anyone who has developed symptoms of Cyclospora infection, and has reason to believe they have been exposed to the parasite, should seek medical attention, according to Food Safety News. Specific tests are required and antibiotics are used to fight the parasite.

Cyclospora infection can cause severe abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, body aches, and fatigue, according to Food Safety News. Symptoms can develop between two and 14 days after exposure.

Though symptoms can be severe enough to send people to the hospital, it is rare for people to die from Cyclospora infections, according to Food Safety News. In this outbreak, 20 of 145 people with information available were hospitalized, and no deaths had been reported.

The hospitalization figure underscores why prolonged gastrointestinal symptoms after a suspected exposure warrant medical evaluation. Specific testing is needed because routine care without a targeted test may miss the parasite.

Antibiotics are used to fight the parasite, according to Food Safety News. People with symptoms and a reason to believe they were exposed should seek medical attention rather than waiting for recovery without care.

How the parasite spreads

Cyclospora is a type of protozoa, which is a tiny, single-celled organism, according to Food Safety News. It is transmitted when people somehow ingest contaminated feces, typically through contaminated food or water.

It can be spread only through human waste, unlike E. coli and salmonella, which can also be spread from animal fecal matter, according to Food Safety News. That distinction is central to understanding contamination routes.

Food or water contaminated with human waste is the typical vehicle described in the reports. Travel-related cyclosporiasis can also follow eating or drinking contaminated food or water outside the United States, according to Food Poison Journal.

The domestic cases counted here did not involve reported travel during the 14 days before illness. Those patients became sick after eating food in the United States.

Molecular-level tools for linking Cyclospora cases were still being developed and validated by CDC and other agencies, according to Food Poison Journal. Better linkage tools would help connect dispersed cases to a shared source.

Past outbreaks pointed to fresh produce

Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce, including basil, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, raspberries, and snow peas, according to Food Safety News.

That produce history is relevant because investigators in foodborne outbreaks commonly examine fresh herbs, leafy greens, and berries. In the current event, however, a potential source had not been identified and investigations were ongoing.

Food safety experts say there is no evidence that washing the produce will remove the parasite, according to Food Safety News. That finding limits the protection consumers can obtain from routine rinsing alone.

The current outbreak count covered domestically acquired illness since May 1, 2026. The seasonal pattern described by Food Poison Journal treats May 1 through August 31 as the cyclosporiasis season.

Until investigators identify a potential source, the reports did not name a food, brand, supplier, retailer, or recall. Consumers following this outbreak should watch for updates from local, state, and federal public health authorities investigating the multistate clusters.

Sources referenced