A gastrointestinal illness is spreading rapidly across the United States, with health officials struggling to pinpoint its origin as case numbers climb at an alarming pace.
Michigan has become the focal point of the outbreak. State figures show confirmed cases rocketing from 170 to 681 within roughly a week — a fourfold increase that has outpaced every other affected state by a wide margin.
Other states are also seeing notable clusters. New York officials confirmed 120 cases dating back to May 1.
Texas health authorities placed their count at 48 as of Monday. Meanwhile, federal data from the CDC shows Illinois with somewhere between 11 and 80 cases, though that agency’s figures only reflect information through mid-June.
At the center of the outbreak is cyclospora, a microscopic parasite responsible for the illness known as cyclosporiasis. The organism commonly spreads through tainted water supplies or raw produce items like lettuce, basil and cilantro.
Despite widespread testing, investigators have not traced the current surge back to any single contaminated product or source.
Detecting the parasite presents its own challenge. Routine stool testing does not screen for cyclospora specifically, meaning patients need targeted lab analysis to confirm infection.
Medical experts suspect this diagnostic hurdle has allowed an unknown number of cases to go completely unreported.
Those infected may experience no symptoms at all, or they may suffer severe watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and exhaustion.
The illness typically isn’t fatal, but officials warn that resulting dehydration can become dangerous — especially among children, senior citizens and individuals with compromised immune systems.
Case reports emerged throughout June in a wide swath of additional states, including Alaska, Wisconsin, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana and Florida.
Federal tracking data released June 16 showed 145 total infections spanning 17 states — notably, before Michigan’s numbers began their sharp climb. Investigators confirmed every patient contracted the illness domestically, with none reporting recent travel abroad.
Twenty patients required hospital care, and health officials have recorded zero fatalities tied to the outbreak so far.
Among those battling the illness is 51-year-old Cristy Cooper, who spoke with reporters while hospitalized. “This is worse than like any flu I’ve ever gotten or anything, it’s just so…it’s miserable. I’m worn out from it. I really am,” she said.
Cooper’s ordeal started June 25 with diarrhea she described as “unbearable.” Within 48 hours, additional symptoms piled on — gas, exhaustion, vomiting, nausea, severe cramping and a 100.2-degree fever.
During the illness’s peak, Cooper found herself needing the bathroom upward of 30 times daily.
Complicating her recovery, Cooper is a dialysis patient with a weakened immune system, requiring extra caution during treatment. Most people with normal immune function typically recover on their own through rest, hydration and light eating, without needing medical intervention.
Because of her condition, doctors closely regulated how much fluid Cooper consumed — too much could trigger serious complications including spiking blood pressure and added stress on her heart.
Experts note the parasite needs one to two weeks after leaving the body before it can infect someone else, which makes direct transmission between people extremely rare.
Cooper’s treatment included a course of sulfa-based antibiotics, and she is now recovering.
Health officials caution that the infection can occasionally return with greater intensity even after antibiotic treatment, if the initial medication doesn’t fully eliminate the parasite from a patient’s system.
To limit exposure, officials are recommending several precautionary steps: cooking leafy greens rather than eating them raw, and rinsing all fresh produce thoroughly under running water — including hard-to-reach spots where contaminants can linger.
Shoppers are also urged to buy whole lettuce heads instead of pre-bagged, pre-washed salad blends, discarding the outer leaves and washing inner leaves individually. Similar leaf-by-leaf washing is advised for cilantro, basil, green onions and snow peas.
For berries, officials suggest choosing frozen raspberries over fresh, noting that freezing lowers — but doesn’t fully remove — contamination risk.
The investigation into the outbreak’s source remains ongoing as health agencies across multiple states continue monitoring the rapidly evolving situation.
