A widespread outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection causing severe watery diarrhea, has surged to more than 2,800 confirmed and suspected cases across 31 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Michigan and Ohio are reporting the highest numbers, with Michigan alone documenting 2,640 cases.
Outbreak Details and Symptoms
The CDC reported 843 confirmed cases and 1,500 suspected cases as of Friday, with 86 hospitalizations and no deaths. The agency expects the case count to rise due to reporting delays typical for cyclosporiasis, which has a two-week incubation period. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, and fatigue, often lasting several weeks if untreated.
Michigan appears especially hard-hit, with health officials urging restaurants and commercial kitchens in the southeast to thoroughly wash leafy greens, snow peas, herbs, and raspberries, or ideally cook them. Ohio has reported 177 cases. The source of the outbreak remains unidentified.
Impact of Funding Cuts on Response
The outbreak comes a year after the Trump administration cut $11.4 billion in grants to state and local health departments in March 2025, originally earmarked for pandemic activities. Michigan public health labs alone lost $5.5 million, according to Bridge Michigan. Barbara Kowalcyk, associate professor at George Washington University's Milken Institute of Public Health, noted that these cuts reduce the capacity to scale up during outbreaks: “In state and local health departments, you might have people who are funded by three to four different funding sources. If you take one away, you have to have people go part-time or reduce your staff. Your capacity to scale up during an outbreak is limited.”
Additionally, in July 2025, the administration narrowed the scope of the FoodNet surveillance program from eight foodborne pathogens, including cyclospora, to just E. coli and salmonella. FoodNet had coordinated information across states and produced key statistics on foodborne illness. Public health consultant Gail Hansen told the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy: “Despite what the current HHS administration believes, ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away. States do not have the ability to coordinate information and data across states, and this cut will bring us back to a time before FoodNet.”
Challenges in Investigation
Investigating cyclospora is particularly challenging due to its long incubation period and reporting lag. Epidemiologists interview lab-confirmed patients two to four weeks after infection, making it difficult to recall food sources. Kowalcyk said delays have likely worsened: “If you’re understaffed, you might be interviewing patients after 6-8 weeks.” Michigan's chief medical executive, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, told the Associated Press that “there is clearly a linked outbreak happening right now,” despite the obstacles.
The administration has defended the changes, stating that other surveillance systems now monitor for these pathogens and that narrowing FoodNet reduces duplication. A CDC website updated in April said: “Today, other surveillance systems monitor for infection with FoodNet pathogens.” The Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to a request for comment.
