Cyclospora: Following the Salad Trail
Health officials are investigating lettuce and packaged salad greens as cases continue to rise—but the source remains unknown.
🚨 Cyclospora Update: Lettuce Now the Leading Suspect
The Cyclospora outbreak continues to grow, with more than 3,300 reported cases in Michigan alone and cases now identified across more than 30 states.
Michigan health officials now say that lettuce and packaged salad greens are the leading suspects based on patient interviews. Importantly, no specific brand, grower, distributor, or supplier has yet been identified, so this remains an active investigation.
A few important points:
• Cyclospora is NOT a worm. It is a microscopic, single-celled parasite.
• Those online “parasite cleanses“ are not an effective treatment.
• The usual symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea, bloating, cramping, fatigue, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Unlike a typical stomach bug, symptoms can come and go for weeks if untreated.
• The standard treatment is trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim). If you’ve had persistent watery diarrhea, ask your healthcare provider whether you should be tested specifically for Cyclospora, as it may not be included in every routine stool test.
Should you stop eating salads?
No. But this is a good reminder to wash fresh produce, keep it refrigerated, and pay attention to public health advisories as investigators continue tracing the source.
I’ll continue to update you as more information becomes available.