There’s a foodborne outbreak happening right now that you’ve probably half-seen in a headline, cyclosporiasis, and I want to give you some updates.
The parasite (Cyclospora) lives on fresh produce and got contaminated with fecal matter somewhere along the line. You can’t see it, and washing isn’t fully protective.
As of July 9, the CDC has confirmed 843 U.S. cases across 31 states since May 1, plus more than 1,500 additional suspected cases they’re still working through. Over 80 hospitalizations. Michigan is the epicenter with more than 1,500 cases as of July 10, and Ohio, New York, Illinois, and Texas are climbing.
No source has been identified yet, or recall, which is part of why officials are giving general produce guidance instead of “throw out brand X.”
Source: CDC cyclosporiasis
What it actually does to you
Watery, explosive, relentless diarrhea. Loss of appetite. Cramping. Fatigue. The thing that sets it apart from a normal 24-hour stomach bug is that it drags on for weeks, and it might clear up and then come back.
A standard stool panel often doesn’t catch it. If you or your kid has watery diarrhea lasting more than a few days, you have to specifically ask your provider to test for Cyclospora. It’s treatable with the right antibiotic, but only if someone thinks to look for it.
What to be careful with right now
These are the foods tied to past Cyclospora outbreaks in the U.S. and Canada. I’m not telling you to never eat produce. Produce is great. But here are a list of items to handle with extra care or cook while this is active, especially if you’ve got little kids, older parents, or anyone immunocompromised in the house:
Bagged, pre-washed salad mixes and kits (the chopped romaine/iceberg/cabbage/carrot blends). Buy whole heads and wash them yourself instead. So sad, since I love those Taylor Farm bagged salads :(
Fresh herbs, especially cilantro and basil. Separate the leaves and wash each one. The rough surfaces are exactly where the parasite hides.
Raspberries and blackberries. Textured berries are hard to wash well. So tough for the kiddos right now who love berries, I know.
Snow peas and snap peas. Rub them under running water as you wash.
Mesclun / spring mix lettuces.
Green onions. Trim the root end and peel off the outer layer.
Cucumbers. Scrub with a clean produce brush.
The one rule that actually kills it: heat. Cooking produce to 158°F (70°C) or higher destroys Cyclospora. Rinsing helps reduce it but does not guarantee removal, because the parasite clings tightly to surfaces and chlorine rinses don’t kill it. So when you can cook it, cook it.
FYI: this is NOT person to person. You cannot catch it from a sick family member, a doorknob, or a shared bathroom. It comes from contaminated food and water, full stop. So scrubbing your counters raw won’t do a thing for this particular bug.
Why I’m flagging this for the parents specifically
Two reasons.
First, dehydration. Kids (and older adults) get into trouble from fluid loss faster than healthy adults do. Days of watery diarrhea in a small body is the actual danger here, more than the parasite itself. So if your kid gets hit, the job is fluids and a call to the pediatrician, and asking them directly about a Cyclospora test if it’s dragging on.
Second, kids tend to eat the exact foods on that list. Berries in the lunchbox. Bagged salad at the school cafeteria. Fruit at every playdate. And a kid can’t tell you “my lower GI symptoms have persisted with a relapsing pattern.” So if they say their tummy hurts, try not to assume it is just a standard stomach bug, and be sure to monitor, so this doesn’t gets missed.
Now what I actually got fired up about
I’ve been watching people joke online that the silver lining of this outbreak is, hey, at least you’d lose a few pounds.
I made a reel about why that one lands wrong for me. Watch it here:
TL;DR: when we joke that a parasite that has people hospitalized is a “worth it” weight loss method, we’re saying that being thinner is worth being sick for.
Kids and teens are listening too. When a kid hears the adults around them laugh about getting sick to drop a few pounds, they file it away. Every time.
So I’m not going to laugh at this one. Not because I’ve lost my sense of humor (you know me, that I never will), but because I know exactly who’s on the other side of that joke, and they don’t think it’s funny either.
Wash your berries. Cook what you can. And check on the person in your life who might be taking the “joke” seriously.
P.S. Something’s brewing. I’m putting together a small beta group for people who want to get ahead of the week instead of hitting Wednesday with no plan and a fridge devoid of things to eat. I like the idea of it being like a co-working session, but together in the kitchen: we plan the week together, trade ideas, and actually get the meal-planning done in the room instead of adding it to the someday list. I’m picturing once a month to start. For folks whose insurance covers group sessions we can bill through that, and for out-of-network it’d be a small out-of-pocket. Still building it out, but if this sounds like your thing, just hit reply and tell me you’re interested. I’ll keep the early crew posted first.
Sources for today’s newsletter
CDC, Surveillance of Cyclosporiasis (case counts, states, symptoms): https://www.cdc.gov/cyclosporiasis/php/surveillance/index.html
Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, prevention recommendations and foods linked to past outbreaks: https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/inside-mdhhs/newsroom/2026/07/04/mdhhs-makes-recommendations-on-preventing-foodborne-illness-amid-growing-cyclosporiasis-outbreak
PBS News, what to know about the cyclosporiasis outbreak (produce handling guidance, surveillance context): https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-cyclosporiasis-outbreak
TIME, outbreak overview and case data: https://time.com/article/2026/07/08/cyclosporiasis-outbreak-diarrhea-produce/
