Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Jul 8
Maryland Probes 28 Cyclosporiasis Cases Since May 1 as 2026 Total Reaches 32
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Jul 8

Maryland Probes 28 Cyclosporiasis Cases Since May 1 as 2026 Total Reaches 32

3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Jul 8

Summary

  • Maryland health officials are investigating a summer rise in cyclosporiasis after 28 of the state's 32 confirmed 2026 cases were reported between May 1 and July 7.
  • No common source has been identified, complicating the probe because symptoms can take about a week to appear and the parasite is hard to trace to a single food item.
  • Fresh produce is a leading suspect in cyclospora infections — especially items like lettuce and berries — and doctors say persistent watery diarrhea, cramps, appetite loss and fatigue warrant medical care.
  • The increase is outpacing the same period in prior years: Maryland logged 18 cases from May 1 to July 7 in 2025 and 19 in 2024, even though full-year totals later reached 128 and 204.

Insights

With over 400 sick nationwide, is a single contaminated food product linking outbreaks from North Carolina to Michigan?
As summer Cyclospora outbreaks become an annual threat, is simply washing produce enough to keep your family safe?
Can advanced DNA tracing find the outbreak's source before the contaminated fresh produce disappears from shelves?