{"id":44775,"date":"2026-08-01T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/?p=44775"},"modified":"2026-07-31T21:54:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T01:54:07","slug":"cyclosporiasis-cases-exceed-4000-in-ohio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/science\/2026\/08\/01\/cyclosporiasis-cases-exceed-4000-in-ohio\/","title":{"rendered":"Cyclosporiasis cases exceed 4,000 in Ohio"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

July 2026 ended on a high for Ohio, but not in the way one might expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCyclosporiasis season,\u201d which typically runs from May to July, sees an average of less than 1,000 cases per year.<\/a> That record has been shattered this summer with more than 18,000 cases reported in the U.S. and nearly a quarter of those coming from the buckeye state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Midwest has been hit particularly hard, with Michigan leading in numbers and Ohio coming in second.<\/p>\n\n\n

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An infographic showing the life cycle of the cyclospore parasite. <\/strong>CDC.GOV<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Cyclosporiasis is caused by consuming an intestinal parasite that can live on produce such as lettuce, herbs and berries. Officials say the most likely culprit is pre-washed produce, as the parasite can also live in water and affect large quantities of food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FDA previously announced that it had determined Taylor Farms produce as the source of the outbreak, but then retracted the statement, saying the test had given a false positive. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Pre-washed lettuce is currently suspected to be the leading cause of the record-setting cyclosporiasis outbreak.<\/strong> STOCKCAKE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Taylor Farms supplies lettuce to many U.S. brands<\/a> including Walmart, KFC, Pizza Hut, McDonald\u2019s and Taco Bell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor Farms has recalled its iceberg lettuce sourced out of central Mexico. Weeks later, experts are still unclear on the outbreak\u2019s origins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cyclosporiasis is relatively difficult to track as many people may assume they have a stomach virus and not report it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compared to other foodborne illnesses, it has a long incubation period, taking more than a week to show symptoms on average. The parasite also cannot be replicated in a lab and does not reliably show up on average fecal tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the illness typically resolves on its own, doctors recommend seeking medical help<\/a> if diarrhea is severe, long-lasting, or accompanied by dizziness, dehydration or extreme fatigue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the most recent development, the CDC has dispatched a team of \u201cdisease detectives\u201d to Ohio. The team will spend about three weeks interviewing infected people to find shared exposure histories and identify areas where the illness is striking hardest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hannah Kichline, executive editor<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out more from The Clarion:<\/p>\n\n\n