Texas health authorities have identified well over 100 cases of cyclosporiasis — the illness caused by the parasite cyclospora — so far this year
As of Monday, the Texas Department of State Health Services had identified 121 lab-confirmed cases, according to agency spokesperson Douglas Loveday. Those cases span the current cyclosporiasis season, which runs from the beginning of May through the end of August
Among the reported cases, Loveday wrote in an email, there have been 23 reported hospitalizations and no deaths
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Cyclosporiasis cases in the U.S. typically originate from contaminated produce, and some number of Texans are sickened by the parasite each year. So far this year, Texas has not seen the massive surge in cases that some other states have reported
For comparison, by July 27 in 2025 and 2024, the state of Texas had reported 43 and 61 cases, respectively. In 2023, the case count was 211 by July 27
Loveday said a
Cyclospora outbreaks in other states
While Texas’ case count is still in the ballpark of typical for this time of year, some other states are seeing massive surges
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The state of Michigan updated its case count on Monday, with more than 9,000 cases reported this year. Michigan’s hospitalization count was not updated as recently, but the state had reported 160 cyclospora hospitalizations as of July 23
Michigan is part of a cyclosporiasis outbreak that now spans nine states, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That outbreak has been linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, which supplies Taco Bell locations as well as grocery stores. The supplier has already recalled the potentially contaminated lettuce
Among the nine impacted states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified more than 1,900 people with cyclosporiasis who reported exposure to Taco Bell
The FDA is also investigating other cyclospora outbreaks. Most recently, the FDA on July 22 posted about a new outbreak investigation that includes 72 cases
How to protect yourself against cyclospora
Texas residents should take basic precautions, including safe food handling precautions, but do not need to be overly concerned about the parasite, Dallas County health director Dr. Philip Huang told The Dallas Morning News last week
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To start with, Huang advised people not to eat recalled products, such as the recalled Taylor Farms lettuce
For other foods, the FDA advises thorough rinsing of produce, but it does not recommend using soap. The surest way to kill cyclospora, however, is by cooking. The parasite cannot survive if produce is cooked to an internal temperature of at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the FDA
As always, the FDA also recommends regular washing of hands and of surfaces that come into contact with food
