Cyclospora in Maryland: Health officials report 110 cases since May 1
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Updated: 4:58 PM EDT Jul 22, 2026Editorial Standards ⓘ
Mindy Basara
Reporter
Breana Ross
Reporter
Cyclospora in Maryland: Health officials report 110 cases since May 1
Updated: 4:58 PM EDT Jul 22, 2026Editorial Standards ⓘ
Mindy Basara
Reporter
Breana Ross
Reporter
BALTIMORE —
Cyclosporiasis cases in Maryland have increased to 110 since May 1, state health officials said
Video above: Cyclospora cases more than double in Maryland (July 15)
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According to the Maryland Department of Health, 27 cases were acquired domestically, 47 were acquired internationally and 36 are pending investigation. MDH has not identified a common link among these cases
| LINK: Cyclosporiasis Fact Sheet from the Maryland Department of Health’s Prevention and Health Promotion Administration
There are more than 11,000 cyclosporiasis cases across 41 states; however, not all of these cases are confirmed. More than 4,000 of the cases were laboratory confirmed while some 7,000 additional cases were reported by state and local health departments that require additional investigation
Investigations into cyclosporiasis cases are continuously conducted by local health departments and reported to MDH
What are the symptoms of Cyclospora?
The illness, caused by a parasite found in contaminated food and water, can lead to symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and fatigue
Dr. Greg Schrank, an infectious diseases physician at the University of Maryland Medical Center, said the biggest risk is dehydration, particularly during extreme heat, as cases rise
“What’s been quite startling with the current outbreak is the sheer number of cases in a very short period of time,” Schrank told WBAL-TV 11 News. “We see typically, in Maryland, a few cases each year.”
Symptoms appear about one to 14 days, usually a week, after eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water, MDH said
The most common symptom is watery diarrhea with frequent, sometimes explosive, bowel movements. Others include:
- Extreme fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Substantial <a href="https://healthylife7.com/weight-loss-drugs-linked-to-loss-of-hair-in-major-new-study/" title="<a href="https://healthylife7.com/common-weight-loss-drugs-have-been-linked-to-a-higher-risk-of-hair-loss/" title="Common Weight Loss Drugs Have Been Linked to a Higher Risk of Hair Loss”>Weight loss drugs linked to loss of hair in major new study”>weight loss
- Increased gas and bloating
- Stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting
- Low-grade fever
How to protect against illness from Cyclosporiasis
To protect against cyclosporiasis, Schrank recommends avoiding prepackaged salads, spinach or lettuce, peeling the outer layer of fruits and vegetables if possible, and cooking produce when possible, to avoid cyclosporiasis
“It can cause very bothersome and uncomfortable symptoms, but is generally not life-threatening,” Schrank told WBAL-TV 11 News
He also advised seeing a doctor if diarrhea lasts more than one or two days, as testing can confirm a cyclosporiasis diagnosis
“If the diagnosis is made, there is an antibiotic treatment that can shorten the duration of symptoms and lessen the severity of symptoms, and so, especially if you do identify yourself as somebody that’s more vulnerable, getting that earlier diagnosis can really help prevent that prolonged syndrome of diarrhea and then any complications from it,” Schrank told WBAL-TV 11 News
Produce from local farms may pose a lower risk
Schrank explained that produce from local farms may pose a lower risk of contamination
“Produce from local farms, particularly given the breadth and distribution of cases across the country, the sheer number of cases, it does suggest somewhere much further up in the supply chain as a
At the Catonsville Farmers Market, local farmers, like Cynthia Yingling, of Glenville Hollow Farms, told WBAL-TV 11 News she has had customers ask her about cyclosporiasis and chose her produce over going to stores
“They felt that this would be a safer option because we don’t use wash water,” Yingling told WBAL-TV 11 News. “Farmers’ markets are a better safe choice until they figure out how to take care of it.”
Gregory Horner, of Deep Run Farm, shared a similar perspective
“It’s less handling stuff. Basically, we pick it, package it, and it comes straight to the consumer. So, there’s a lot less fingers in the pot and less places where it could get contaminated,” Horner told WBAL-TV 11 News
Where are Cyclospora cases?
How to protect your family
Video below: Dr. Ashanti Woods, a pediatrician at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, shares his guidance for protecting yourself and your family
Cyclospora in Maryland: Health officials report 69 cases through July — more than double last week
What is cyclospora? Baltimore pediatrician explains, offers preventative guidance
What we know about past outbreaks linked to cyclospora, the parasite that can lead to ‘explosive diarrhea’
‘Explosive diarrhea’ parasite on the rise in U.S., reported in 17 states
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