Quebec is experiencing an uptick in the number of cases of a parasite causing watery and sometimes explosive diarrhea, but health authorities say there is no apparent link to an ongoing outbreak in Michigan affecting thousands.
“An excess of cyclosporiasis cases is being observed in Quebec in 2026,” the province’s Health Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.
Since the beginning of 2026, 85 cases have been reported across the province — an increase from 30 cases for the year-earlier period. The ministry recorded an annual average of 32 cases for the same time frame between 2022 and 2025.
“However, the current situation is nowhere near the scale of the outbreak reported in the state of Michigan,” the ministry said.
“As in previous years, the majority of Quebec cases appear to be linked to travel exposure, primarily to Mexico. To date, fewer than five cases have reported travel to the United States.”
None of Quebec’s cyclosporiasis cases “appear to be associated with the ongoing outbreak in Michigan,” the ministry added.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is investigating the state’s outbreak, saying lettuce or salad greens “may be a potential source.” As of Tuesday, the department had reported 3,309 cases and 44 hospitalizations.
The intestinal illness is caused by the parasite cyclospora. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say people can become infected by consuming food or water that contains the parasite, and symptoms include “watery diarrhea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” loss of appetite, bloating, cramping, fatigue and weight loss.
“It’s rarely fatal, so most people will recover,” said Dr. Lawrence Goodridge, a professor of food safety at the University of Guelph. “It takes about two weeks after consuming the contaminated food before symptoms show up, and the symptoms can last for seven to eight weeks.”
During that time, he added, symptoms will “often disappear and reappear.”
Quebec’s Health Ministry said a seasonal increase in cyclosporiasis cases is “usually observed in the spring and summer,” and that it is “continuously” monitoring the situation.
Heading to the U.S.? Opt for fruit with smooth surfaces
Canada has about 240 cases of cyclosporiasis per year on average, according to Goodridge.
“I think the majority of that is people who have travelled,” he said. “This parasite is not common in Canada, the U.S. or Europe. But it is commonly found in Central and South America, the Caribbean, south and southeast Asia and Africa.”
The Public Health Agency of Canada has repeatedly said it has “not seen any cases that are associated” with the current cyclosporiasis surge in the U.S., Goodridge added.
“The outbreak has been going on in the U.S. for a while now — at least a month, probably a month and a half or more,” he said. “So I think we would have seen cases. I don’t think we have to worry from that standpoint.”
But given the outbreak affects 31 American states — including New York — and Montreal’s proximity to the border, Goodridge said travellers to the U.S. can take some precautions, including cooking produce where possible, since heat “will kill the parasite.”
Canadians visiting the U.S. should opt for fruit without nooks or crannies where cyclospora can get in; it can then be hard to remove, even with washing.
“Instead of eating raspberries and blueberries and strawberries, choose fruits that have smooth surfaces, like grapes, for example, or perhaps fruits that have rinds or skin,” Goodridge said, adding skin can be peeled.
“If you’re going to eat lettuce, instead of buying lettuce that’s fresh cut, like in bags, buy whole heads of lettuce.”
The outer lettuce leaves can be removed, “because that’s where the majority of contamination will be,” and then the inner leaves can be washed, reducing the risk, he said.
Editor’s Picks