Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Investigations — United States, 2015

CDC and federal, state, and local public health partners are investigating an increase in reported cases of Cyclospora infection.

Highlights

At a Glance

  • Case Count: 546
  • States: 31
  • Deaths: 0
  • Hospitalizations: 21
  • Recall: No
  • Read the related statement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administrationexternal icon
  • Advice for consumers about prevention and recognition of cyclosporiasis can be found here.
  • Cyclospora cayetanensis is a single-celled parasite that causes an intestinal infection called cyclosporiasis.
  • As of September 14, 2015 (3pm EDT), CDC had been notified of 546 ill persons with confirmed Cyclospora infection from 31 states in 2015.
    • Most of these persons—319 (58%) of 546—experienced onset of illness on or after May 1, 2015, and did not have a history of international travel within 2 weeks before illness onset. These 319 persons were from the following 23 states: Arkansas (3), California (2), Connecticut (5), Florida (13), Georgia (26),

      Illinois (9), Iowa (1), Kansas (2), Maryland (1), Massachusetts (12), Michigan (2), Missouri (1), Montana (3), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (7), New Mexico (2), New York (excluding NYC) (10), New York City (22), North Carolina (1), Texas (179), Utah (1), Virginia (3), Washington (2), and Wisconsin (11).

    • Clusters of illness linked to restaurants or events have been identified in Texasexternal icon, Wisconsin, and Georgia.
    • Cluster investigations are ongoing in Texas and Georgia.
    • Cluster investigations in Wisconsin and Texas have preliminarily identified cilantro as a suspect vehicle.
    • Investigations are ongoing to identify specific food
      item(s) linked to the cases that are not part of the identified clusters.
  • Previous U.S. outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to imported fresh produce, including cilantro from the Puebla region of Mexico. Read the related FDA Import Alertexternal icon.
  • Consumers should continue to enjoy the health benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables as part of a well-balanced diet.
  • Consumers and retailers should always follow safe produce handling recommendations.
  • More information about Cyclospora can be found on CDC’s Cyclospora pages.

Progression of the Outbreak Investigation

Page last reviewed: June 14, 2018