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Cyclospora cases in US hit all time high
US health officials have confirmed the country’s largest recorded outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by the Cyclospora parasite. The rise is significant because it has already surpassed the total number of reported US cases for the whole of 2025, while authorities expect the count to increase further as delayed reports are processed.
Since 1 May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded 4,173 laboratory-confirmed domestically acquired cases across 41 states, compared with 1,645 cases in 34 states a week earlier. The infection is commonly spread through food or water contaminated with faeces and can cause prolonged diarrhoea, nausea and stomach cramps; officials are investigating outbreaks including one linked to lettuce.
In short
- Record US Cyclospora outbreak has exceeded 4,100 confirmed cases.
- Cases have been reported in 41 states since May.
- Investigators are examining a lettuce-linked outbreak.
Explained simply
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that causes an intestinal infection when people consume contaminated food or water. The illness, called cyclosporiasis, results in prolonged diarrhoea, nausea and stomach cramps, and is transmitted through faecal contamination.
The United States is currently experiencing its largest recorded outbreak of cyclosporiasis. Since May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented more than 4,100 laboratory-confirmed cases across 41 states, with health officials expecting the total to rise as delayed reports are processed.
The scale of this outbreak is significant because cases have already exceeded the entire count from the previous year. Authorities are investigating multiple outbreak sources, including one associated with contaminated lettuce, to determine how the parasite is entering the food supply.
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