• How many cases are there? 
• As of July 16, Michigan alone has reported 3,762 cases, with 44 requiring hospitalization. 
• Many other cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported in at least 34 U.S. states.
• As of July 15, CDC has reported 1,645 confirmed cases, which is likely to be an underestimate as the agency has more than 5,100 other cases that require confirmation.
• Among confirmed cases, CDC is reporting at least 141 hospitalizations but no deaths.

• What foods are the outbreaks linked to?
• Cyclospora outbreaks have usually been associated with fresh fruits and vegetables, especially herbs, berries, salads, etc.
• Hard-hit Michigan reports that “current results point to lettuce or salad greens” as a potential source for the cases in the state, with no specific brands or sources mentioned.

• FDA’s outbreak investigation list includes three separate Cyclopspora outbreaks, none of which have been linked to a specific food.
• Part of the difficulty in assigning a food source is due to the potential for a long incubation period between consumption and illness (one to 28 days). In addition, because it is associated with produce, potential food sources of illnesses may no longer be available for testing.
• Cyclospora infections have only recently been identified (late 1970s) and were initially found in travelers who had been outside of the U.S. Although outbreaks of the parasite were identified in the U.S. since 1995, Cyclospora was believed not to be a problem for produce grown in the U.S. However, the organism has been found in domestic produce since 2019. 

• Why does this seem like such a bad year for Cyclospora?
• Cyclospora cases typically peak in the spring and summer months.
• Cases in the past have been typically underdiagnosed, while testing (especially molecular) methods for the parasite have greatly improved in recent years. 

• In 2025, CDC announced major cuts to the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) due to inadequate funding. These cuts eliminated proactive surveillance for Cyclospora (along with Listeria monocytogenes and four other foodborne pathogens), although other forms of surveillance continue. 
• Cyclospora is a nationally notifiable disease, which means states can voluntarily report cases to CDC but are not required to do so. However, 47 states require reporting of Cyclospora infections.
• Where does the Cyclospora come from? 
• Cyclospora cayetanensis is a fecal-oral pathogen that infects humans, with other animals potentially serving as reservoirs or intermediary hosts (and other species of Cyclospora that infect other animals are known).

• Cyclospora oocysts are unsporulated (and therefore non-infective) when excreted. The oocysts require some time in the environment (days to weeks) to sporulate and become infective. This means that person-to-person transmission is unlikely; transmission occurs by the consumption of recently contaminated water or produce.
• Cyclospora can be detected in irrigation water and in municipal and farm wastewater. 

• What can prevent the transmission of the parasite from food?
• Washing and rinsing produce (and peeling or removing outer leaves) might reduce parasite numbers in produce, but some will likely remain. The infectious dose of Cyclospora is very low (10–100 oocysts).
• FDA states that chlorine and other antimicrobial chemical treatments are not considered effective against Cyclospora. 

• Taco Bell has removed some fresh produce items (lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, cilantro, and onions) in some locations as a result of current outbreaks.
• Other than avoiding the consumption of fresh produce, cooking produce to at least 70°C (158°F) is the only other sure-fire (pun intended) way to eliminate risks from this parasite in produce.

• Many thanks to FRI executive committee and resident parasite expert Laura Knoll for providing input on the Cyclospora information provided above. You can also listen to her discuss outbreak in this news story that discusses how the outbreak is affecting Wisconsin.

• (Another recent infant formula outbreak that began late in 2025 and ended in early 2026 sickened 48 infants (all requiring hospitalization but with no deaths) and was associated with ByHeart powdered infant formula).

• In the Nara outbreak, four illnesses have been identified in three states (California, Pennsylvania, and Washington), with all four patients requiring hospitalization but no deaths reported. Illness onset dates were between April and May 2026.
• The infant formula was marketed by Target and Nara.com in the U.S. and was not distributed outside of the U.S.
• Prior to the identification of illnesses, FDA inspections of two firms in Europe involved in manufacturing the infant formula found deficiencies. Those companies have submitted corrective action responses to FDA which are currently in review.

• Traceback investigations determined that the Nara infant formula lots associated with the outbreak were made with whole milk supplied by Organic West Milk that was spray dried by Dairy Farmers of America (DFA).
• ByHeart infant formula, linked to a separate infant botulism outbreak that started in November 2025, was also made with whole milk powder from this same source.

• However, it is not known if this whole milk powder was a source of the contamination in the Nara outbreak or the root cause of ByHeart outbreak (although C. botulinum was found in a powdered milk ingredient, and isolates from a DFA facility matched a clinical isolate in that outbreak).
• Testing of Nara infant formula lots linked to illnesses is underway now by FDA and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

• A new report from ByHeart and IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group discusses a tiered analytical approach using molecular methods that they used to identify C. botulinum in infant formula samples. The report stresses that enumeration of sulfite-reducing clostridia is not sufficient as an indicator-based screening method for C. botulinum when low levels of contamination are present (as in the ByHeart outbreak).

• HPAI is still circulating in U.S. dairy cows, with 21 herds in three states (Idaho, Utah, and Texas) affected within the last 30 days.

• HPAI outbreaks continue in U.S. birds but are declining as is typical this time of year, with only one commercial flock affected (in Utah) in the last 30 days.

• In a 7-2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state-level lawsuits cannot be filed against Bayer because the company did not warn that their herbicide glyphosate (Roundup) could cause cancer. The decision was based on the EPA’s finding that glyphosate is safe when used properly and did not require a warning label. While considered a victory for Bayer and for farmers, the decision has disappointed the MAHA movement.

• A U.S. District Court judge permanently dismissed a lawsuit against large food companies that alleged they had failed to warn consumers about the risks of ultraprocessed foods. The judge ruled that it could not be definitively proved that such foods caused Type 2 diabetes or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. More lawsuits on this general topic are expected in the near future , however, including a San Francisco government lawsuit and a class action lawsuit in Wisconsin.

• Twinkies don’t actually last forever: Learn why this fact and changing consumer eating habits are causing problems for Smuckers (which acquired Hostess in 2024).

• How do you get berries (a much more perishable product than Twinkies) to marketplaces everywhere, all year-round? Learn how Driscoll’s has done this (and read about a class-action lawsuit against the company alleging the presence of PFAS in its berries).

• In honor of the 250^th anniversary of the U.S., here is an interactive history of food in America (including the history of macaroni and cheese and Cheetos!).

• Food Safety and Meat Microbiology School (Aug. 11–13)
• World of Cheese from Pasture to Plate (Sept. 1–4)
• Basic HACCP Workshop (Sept. 9–10)
• Advanced Cheesemaking: Italian Varieties (Sept. 15–17)
• Basic Meat Processing Workshop (Sept. 22–24)