{"id":3831,"date":"2026-07-15T19:17:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T19:17:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=3831"},"modified":"2026-07-15T19:17:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T19:17:28","slug":"cyclospora-explosive-diarrhea-parasite-fda-cdc-taco-bell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=3831","title":{"rendered":"The rise in cyclosporiasis cases goes beyond Taco Bell"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Bryan, a food broker from Michigan, wasn\u2019t sure if he\u2019d be able to make it to urgent care in time. He started feeling off on Thursday, and by Saturday, he was having to use the bathroom every 15 to 30 minutes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s no joke about the explosive diarrhea,\u201d Bryan, who asked that his last name be withheld for obvious reasons, told me. I met him via Reddit, where I recently spent hours lurking in threads about cyclosporiasis, the explosive diarrhea illness infecting people across the country, and Cyclospora cayetanensis<\/em>, the microscopic parasite that causes it, which spreads through human fecal contamination. Symptoms<\/a> \u2014 including nausea, loss of appetite, cramping and bloating, and the much-discussed watery, explosive diarrhea \u2014 can begin anywhere from two days to two weeks after exposure, and experts say<\/a> they can wax and wane. The explosive diarrhea may stop for a day or two, only to come back in full force. In extreme cases, patients can end up hospitalized after experiencing severe dehydration. So far, the government reports<\/a> 141 hospitalizations and no deaths.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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As a connoisseur of elaborate salads, I was dismayed by the news that a poop-causing parasite may have found its way into America\u2019s summer produce. I wanted answers \u2014 and, it appeared, so did thousands of other people on Reddit, who have taken to crowdsourcing information (and misinformation) in the absence of concrete guidance from the federal government. Health agencies are being cautious about doling out immediate advice, but the gap in information has left suffering, toilet-bound Americans \u2014 and those who fear joining their ranks \u2014 to their own devices, and even made people a little conspiratorial. Online, people are speculating<\/a> whether the government is trying to protect farmers or food distributors. The reality is more mundane but no more satisfying: Federal agencies won\u2019t make hasty recommendations until they have more data, and Cyclospora <\/em>infections are notoriously difficult to pin down.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Though Bryan wasn\u2019t able to get a test to confirm it, he believes he has cyclosporiasis, making him one of more than 5,000 people across the country infected by the parasite. That figure is almost certainly an undercount, since many cases aren\u2019t reported \u2014 and cuts to a federal program that tracks foodborne illness may be hindering investigation efforts<\/a>. The \u201cexplosive diarrhea parasite\u201d is a bigger problem than anyone has been able to grasp, though it\u2019s not clear just how big. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 1,645 cases since May 1st and is aware of at least 5,100 additional cases that require further analysis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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At urgent care, Bryan received \u201ca full battery of tests\u201d except for one \u2014 the one that would detect Cyclospora<\/em>, which isn\u2019t detectable<\/a> by standard diarrhea tests. \u201cThe nurse practitioner said, \u2018We can do one of two things: We can wait until Monday, or I can prescribe you Bactrim immediately,\u2019\u201d he explained. \u201cShe told me the labs were so backed up in Michigan that they can\u2019t even keep up with the amount of people.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Michigan has more confirmed cyclosporiasis cases than any other state: 2,640 as of Monday, according to state health officials, who said<\/a> lettuce and other salad greens are a \u201cpotential source for this outbreak, although other food items cannot be completely ruled out.\u201d State health officials haven\u2019t traced the outbreak to a specific type of produce, or to any growers or suppliers. But The Washington Post <\/em>reports that federal and state officials are investigating Taco Bell<\/a> after the fast food chain voluntarily recalled<\/a> lettuce, cilantro, onion, pico de gallo, and guacamole at some of its locations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Cyclospora<\/em> outbreaks are among the most challenging foodborne outbreaks to investigate<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Janet Hamilton, executive director of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, explained that a lack of information doesn\u2019t mean a lack of government action.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAnytime we have large outbreaks like this, it\u2019s important to remember that they take time to solve, and it\u2019s not uncommon that it can take multiple days, especially if there\u2019s more than one product that\u2019s involved,\u201d Hamilton said. \u201cThere are a lot of folks who are working on this investigation, and it\u2019s a good demonstration around why we do need epidemiologists and disease detectives to have some support and protect our food supply in the US.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Even under the best of circumstances, the parasite is a tricky one to track.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cCyclospora<\/em> outbreaks are among the most challenging foodborne outbreaks to investigate,\u201d Rodney E. Rohde, program chair of the Medical Laboratory Science Program at Texas State University, told The Verge<\/em>. The parasite\u2019s long incubation period \u2014 usually about a week \u2014 and the short shelf life of most fresh produce make it hard to determine what foods made someone sick. Even when a culprit is identified, testing foods for Cyclospora<\/em> is difficult.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAnother challenge is that pathogens are often present in very low numbers and may be unevenly distributed throughout a food lot,\u201d Rohde said, so a lab may analyze a 25-gram sample of thousands of pounds of product without getting a conclusive result. And even when a tainted batch is confirmed, Rohde explained, \u201ctracing remains difficult because fresh produce often passes through multiple growers, packers, distributors, and retailers before reaching consumers, and contaminated lots may no longer be available once illnesses are recognized.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But there are some additional hurdles to that. ProPublica\u2019s Annie Waldman pointed out<\/a> that the Food and Drug Administration lost more than 240 consumer safety specialists<\/a> last year amid President Donald Trump\u2019s cuts to federal health agencies. And last July, the CDC scaled back a program<\/a> that tracked foodborne illnesses in partnership with the FDA, the Department of Agriculture, and state health departments. Before July 2025, the CDC\u2019s Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) worked with 10 state governments to track Campylobacter<\/em>, Cyclospora<\/em>, Listeria<\/em>, Shigella<\/em>, Vibrio<\/em>, Yersinia<\/em>, Salmonella<\/em>, and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli<\/em>. FoodNet stopped requiring state health departments to track most of those pathogens, including Cyclospora<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cEssentially, CDC is backing off on one of their best surveillance systems,\u201d Dr. J. Glenn Morris, director of the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida, told NBC News<\/em> at the time. In a list of talking points provided to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the CDC said financial constraints had led to the drop in surveillance: \u201cFunding has not kept pace with the resources required to maintain the continuation of FoodNet surveillance for all eight pathogens.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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On a Tuesday press call, CDC officials distinguished between FoodNet and its more robust national surveillance program. \u201cThe data that we have for cyclosporiasis for this outbreak is the same as we\u2019ve had for all the other seasons,\u201d said Gwen Biggerstaff, deputy director of CDC\u2019s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases. \u201cWe use the same systems and the same process, so that is unchanged.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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FoodNet was \u201cdesigned as a sentinel system,\u201d said Hamilton of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists. \u201cIt was not designed to be the primary system for detecting outbreaks. The primary way that we detect outbreaks when it comes to Cyclospora<\/em> or cyclosporiasis is really associated with making it be reportable within states, and it\u2019s that reporting process, and then sharing of data with the CDC, that really allows us to detect Cyclospora<\/em> infections.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The CDC has identified an epidemiologic link between four states: Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Cases have been reported in 34 states, though it\u2019s not clear how many of those are linked. The department has not identified the source of the outbreak, and tracing efforts are ongoing. Where does that leave Americans who want to take an abundance of caution? The CDC and FDA aren\u2019t currently recommending that people avoid eating certain foods, and both Hamilton and Rohde stressed the importance of practicing proper food hygiene, including thoroughly washing<\/a> and drying all fresh produce.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And in light of recent reports suggesting lettuce may be a potential vector for infections, Rohde suggested avoiding it and other products connected with outbreaks in the past, especially if you\u2019re immunocompromised or live in a state with high caseloads.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cVegetables and fruits are obviously important to a nutritious diet,\u201d he told me via email, \u201cBUT one should be cautious and pay attention to ongoing local, state, and federal health reports for your geographic locale.\u201d And if that means avoiding herbs at the peak of summer, then so be it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Previous cyclosporiasis outbreaks have been traced to lettuces and other leafy greens. After more than 640 people across 11 states fell ill with cyclosporiasis in 2020, the Food and Drug Administration recalled bagged salads<\/a> sold at Aldi, Walmart, and other retailers under the names Fresh Express, Giant Eagle, Walmart Marketside, and others. The FDA and the CDC reportedly traced the infections to Fresh Express\u2019 Illinois plant. Other outbreaks have been traced to snow and snap peas, raspberries, and herbs like parsley, basil, and cilantro.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cUltimately, prevention depends most on reducing contamination during production rather than in the home,\u201d Rohde said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Desperate for a leafy green, I asked whether farmers market produce is a safe alternative. Rohde\u2019s answer was disappointing but illuminating. He explained that preventing future outbreaks means reducing contamination at the source \u2014 that is, in farms and distribution networks. \u201cFarmer\u2019s markets may be non-connected to any type of common agricultural water supply that could be a potential source of contamination. So, in that sense, they may be safer. But, if one is in a \u2018hot geographic area,\u2019 I would still be cautious.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Though expert opinion on the matter is mixed, and will likely remain so until more information about the outbreak emerges, I\u2019m going to avoid raw greens for now, lest I succumb to Bryan\u2019s fate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Nearly a week in, he\u2019s starting to feel much better, he said \u2014 but the road to recovery was a long, bumpy one, punctuated by Preparation H wipes and many, many trips to the bathroom. \u201cI wish this on no one,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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