BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Health officials are tracking a seasonal spike in cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness that can cause “explosive” diarrhea, among other symptoms.
Cases have been reported in 17 states, including Louisiana, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as agencies work to determine whether the cases are tied to a common food source.
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that spreads when people consume food or water contaminated with feces. The CDC says case counts typically rise in the spring and summer and considers May 1 through Aug. 31 the yearly “cyclosporiasis season.”
Symptoms typically begin about a week after ingestion. They include frequent, watery — and sometimes explosive — diarrhea, stomach cramps, bloating, nausea, fatigue and a low-grade fever.
In its latest national surveillance update, the CDC said it had received reports of 145 cases acquired in the United States from people who became sick May 1, 2026, through June 16, 2026. Of those patients with information available, 20 were hospitalized. No deaths were reported. The CDC notes the true number of infections may be higher because some people recover without seeking medical care and are never tested.
As of June 16, 2026, 45 cases were among people who ate or drank food or water that made them sick while traveling outside the United States during the 14 days before they got sick, federal health officials said.
The CDC says it monitors cyclosporiasis year-round to quickly detect outbreaks linked to a shared food source.
The agency says case clusters can help investigators narrow down what people ate and whether contaminated produce or other items may be involved.
The CDC recommends anyone with symptoms contact a health care provider, because testing and treatment can require specific lab testing for Cyclospora.
