Florida records nearly 100 more cases of cyclosporiasis in a week

Florida records nearly 100 more cases of cyclosporiasis in a week

WUSF |
By
Rick Mayer
Published August 4, 2026 at 1:41 AM EDT

There have been 252 cases in Florida since June 1, around the time outbreaks of the disease were first reported in five Midwest state, according to the state health department

Florida added nearly 100 cases of the foodborne parasitic infection cyclosporiasisin the most recent week of reporting data available by the state health department

From July 18 to 25, the state recorded 97 cases. There have been 252 reports since June 1, around the time outbreaks of the disease were first reported in five Midwest states

Since June, Miami-Dade County has reported 39 cases, most in the state, but only seven in the latest week of data. Orange added 15 cases during the more recent week, and Broward had 10

The health department will update the numbers again on Thursday

The Florida update comes as health officials in Michigan, the center of the first outbreak, announced two deaths of people with cyclosporiasis. Both had underlying health conditions

Health officials say cyclosporiasis is rarely deadly

The illness is caused by Cyclospora, a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

ALSO READ: What Cyclospora does inside the gut and how it gets there

The heat-loving parasite infects the bowels and spreads through feces. In the past, people were infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to feces-contaminated irrigation water

The CDC said it was aware of more than 18,000 confirmed or suspected cases in the current surge. But CDC numbers can lag state reports, which suggest the number is more than 20,000 nationwide

Symptoms often take a few weeks to develop, which can also lead to reporting delays. In addition, undercounts are likely, according to infectious disease experts

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report