{"id":760483,"date":"2026-07-13T14:26:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T14:26:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/760483\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T14:26:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T14:26:13","slug":"what-to-know-about-the-diarrhea-causing-parasite-spreading-in-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/760483\/","title":{"rendered":"What to know about the Diarrhea-causing parasite spreading in the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of the nation\u2019s largest outbreaks of cyclosporiasis<\/a>, a parasitic disease that can cause debilitating diarrhea, has grown to more than 1,500 cases in Michigan alone, with federal officials reporting hundreds of cases across 31 states.<\/p>\n

As cases pile up in multiple states, officials say the true number of the infected is likely higher because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for the parasite.<\/p>\n

You’re reading the Essential California newsletter <\/p>\n

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There have been cases of cyclosporiasis infection in California this year, my colleague Karen Garcia wrote, but none has been linked to the current outbreak.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom January to June 2026, California has reported 41 provisional cases of cyclosporiasis, compared to 80 cases during the same period in 2025,\u201d said Beth Deines, information officer for the state agency.<\/p>\n

Most of these cases are associated with recent international travel, she told Karen.<\/p>\n

There have been four domestic cases reported since May 1. Two of the people infected reported that they had traveled to the Midwest, but the investigation of these cases is ongoing. To protect patient privacy, the state public health department does not disclose where in the state the patients reside.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s more on the parasitic disease, its symptoms and what you can do to protect yourself.<\/p>\n

What is cyclosporiasis and how is it spread?<\/p>\n

Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by several species of the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis and is spread through the feces from an infected person that has contaminated food or water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>.<\/p>\n

People become infected with the illness by consuming food or water that has been contaminated with the parasite. The infection is not transmitted from person to person.<\/p>\n

In the United States, foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of fresh produce imported from Latin America, including raspberries, cilantro, basil, snow peas and mixed salad, according to the California Department of Public Health<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reports of more than 800 domestic cases<\/a> of the illness as of Friday and said more than 1,500 \u201crequired further analysis to confirm.\u201d <\/p>\n

Those who have contracted cyclosporiasis have ranged in age from 5 to 86.<\/p>\n

What are the symptoms?<\/p>\n

Although cyclosporiasis cases are reported year-round, infections are most common in the summer and early fall when temperatures are warmer.<\/p>\n

Infected people experience symptoms from two days to two weeks after consuming food or drinking water containing the parasite.<\/p>\n

Some people who are infected, particularly those from areas where cyclosporiasis is endemic, may not have any symptoms.<\/p>\n

Those who do develop symptoms could experience:<\/p>\n

Watery diarrheaLoss of appetiteWeight lossCrampingBloatingIncreased gasNauseaFatigue<\/p>\n

Less common symptoms may include:<\/p>\n

VomitingBody achesHeadacheLow-grade feverOther flu-like symptoms<\/p>\n

Cyclospriasis can be treated with a combination of antibiotics. Without treatment, symptoms can last from a few days to a month or longer.<\/p>\n

How can you protect yourself from cyclosporiasis?<\/p>\n

Because most foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis in the U.S. have been linked to various types of imported fresh produce, public health officials in California and in states reporting cases recommend:<\/p>\n

Wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling or preparing raw fruits and vegetables. Note that hand sanitizer does not kill the parasite that causes cyclosporiasis.Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting or cooking.Scrub firm fruits and vegetables, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables before preparing and eating.Refrigerate cut, peeled or cooked fruits and vegetables as soon as possible.Today\u2019s top stories \"A <\/a> <\/p>\n

Blair Bowman stands on a friend\u2019s patio after a 2024 mudslide in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Baldwin Vista.<\/p>\n

(Ringo Chiu \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n

A \u2018super\u2019 El Ni\u00f1o is brewingForecasters warn a \u201csuper\u201d El Ni\u00f1o is building in the Pacific<\/a>, with overwhelming odds of a very strong event that could drive record-breaking heat on land and at sea.For Southern California, a powerful El Ni\u00f1o raises the risk of a stormy, flood-prone winter, landslides, beach erosion and damaging high tides, echoing some of the region\u2019s wettest years.Legendary Television City may be soldThe birthplace of generations of TV hits is expected to go up for sale<\/a> as debt-laden owner Hackman Capital becomes the latest casualty of Hollywood\u2019s production slump.The 25-acre studio next to the Grove and Original Farmers Market could attract bids from neighboring landlords, raising fresh questions over expansion plans, landmark protections and the neighborhood\u2019s future character.U.S. men\u2019s soccer keeps crashing out of the World CupDespite hosting the World Cup with a seasoned, Europe-tested roster and star coach, the U.S. still crashed out<\/a> in the round of 16 \u2014 again.The exit exposes deeper flaws: a pay-to-play youth pipeline sidelining public schools, uneven grassroots coaching, no clear national style and a schedule padded with weaker regional opponents.What else is going onCommentary and opinionsThis morning\u2019s must-readOther must-readsFor your downtime \"A <\/a> Going outStaying inA question for you: What\u2019s the craziest beach setup that you\u2019ve seen?<\/p>\n

Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com<\/a>, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.<\/p>\n

And finally … your photo of the day \"Mateo <\/p>\n

Mateo Johnson, 8, of North Hollywood works out his arms as temperatures reach the low 90s at North Hollywood Park on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

(Robert Gauthier \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s great photo is from Times photographer Robert Gauthier at North Hollywood Park last week, when temperatures reached the low 90s.<\/p>\n

Have a great day, from the Essential California team<\/p>\n

Hailey Branson-Potts, staff writer
Hugo Mart\u00edn, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters<\/p>\n

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com<\/a>. Check our top stories<\/a>, topics<\/a> and the latest articles<\/a> on latimes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One of the nation\u2019s largest outbreaks of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic disease that can cause debilitating diarrhea, has grown…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":760484,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[23,2356,201151,20734,4000,20342,201149,803,26085,4281,8436,3,10643,14797,24195,201150,7155,13109,2384,21,19,22,20,25,24,20736],"class_list":["post-760483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-states","tag-america","tag-california","tag-civic-revolt","tag-covid","tag-covid-19","tag-days","tag-essential-california","tag-israel","tag-l-a","tag-los-angeles-times","tag-may","tag-news","tag-pandemic","tag-part","tag-president-biden","tag-red-county","tag-san-diego","tag-state","tag-time","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa","tag-years"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/760483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=760483"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/760483\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/760484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=760483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=760483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=760483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}