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Tuesday July 21, 2026
(NEW YORK) -- Cases of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal infection caused by a parasite, are currently being reported in nearly three dozen states, according to an ABC News tally.
As of Friday, at least 2,844 cases have been reported in 32 states, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state health departments show.
The CDC said the true number of people sick with cyclosporiasis is likely higher than the reported figure because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for the parasite.
Most cases are currently being reported in Michigan with 1,562 as of Friday, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). At least 44 people have been hospitalized in the state.
This is 31 times higher than the approximately 50 cases that Michigan sees every year, according to the health department.
Michigan health officials previously told ABC News that the working hypothesis is the outbreak is linked to food contamination but, so far, no produce, grower or supplier has been identified.
The parasite usually spreads through food or water contaminated with feces, according to the CDC.
Foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of imported fresh produce, such as raspberries, basil, snow peas, mesclun lettuce and cilantro, the CDC says.
New York is reporting the second highest number of cases at 394, followed by Ohio at 364, according to data from both state health departments. Meanwhile, Illinois and Florida are each reporting more than 100 cases, according to their respective health departments.
The most common symptom of cyclosporiasis is watery diarrhea "with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements," according to the CDC. Other symptoms nay include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain or bloating.
The time between becoming infected and showing symptoms is typically about one week but can range from two days to two weeks, the CDC says. The lag can make it difficult to trace back what may have infected someone, doctors previously told ABC News.
Cyclosporiasis is treated with the oral antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), commonly sold as Bactrim, Septra and Cotrim, and taken for 10 days, according to the CDC.
The agency says people can prevent infection by thoroughly washing produce, cutting away bruised or damaged parts of fruits and vegetables and refrigerating pre-prepared or pre-cut produce.
Additionally, the CDC recommends washing hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling or preparing raw fruits and vegetables.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) -- Multiple states are reporting an increase in cyclosporiasis cases, an intestinal infection caused by a parasite.
Health officials in Michigan have reported more than 1,200 cases and, in neighboring Ohio, cases have topped 170.
Here's what you need to know about the infection, including how it spreads, how it's diagnosed and how to treat it.
What is Cyclosporiasis?
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, also known as Cyclospora, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The infection affects the small intestine and can cause watery diarrhea with sometimes "explosive" bowel movements, according to the federal health agency.
Other symptoms can include cramping, bloating, low-grade fever, nausea and vomiting.
The agency further said it takes about one week from the time of infection to become symptomatic, but that time can range from two days to two weeks.
How it spreads
The parasite usually spreads through food or water contaminated with feces, according to the CDC.
Foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of imported fresh produce, such as raspberries, basil, snow peas, mesclun lettuce and cilantro, according to the CDC.
How the infection is diagnosed
A healthcare provider will diagnose cyclosporiasis by testing stool samples, according to the CDC.
Patients may have to submit several stool samples on different days to detect the parasite because laboratory tests may have a hard time detecting Cyclospora.
The CDC says a patient's healthcare provider will need to specifically request testing for the parasite.
How cyclosporiasis is treated
Cyclosporiasis is treated with the oral antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), commonly sold as Bactrim, Septra and Cotrim, and taken for 10 days, according to the CDC.
The CDC says most people with healthy immune systems will eventually recover without treatment, but if left untreated, patients may be sick for a few days to a month or longer.
How to prevent infection
It's unclear exactly how Cyclospora contaminates food and water, according to the CDC.
The agency says people can prevent infection by thoroughly washing produce, cutting away bruised or damaged parts of fruits and vegetables, and refrigerating pre-prepared or pre-cut produce.
Additionally, the CDC recommends washing hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling or preparing raw fruits and vegetables.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
(NEW YORK) -- A Legionnaires' disease cluster in New York City is growing, with 36 cases now confirmed, according to health officials.
As of Wednesday, there have been at least 22 hospitalizations and no deaths, according to the New York City Department of Health (NYC Health).
The cluster has affected the Upper East Side neighborhoods of Carnegie Hill and Yorkville, the department said.
In an earlier notice to the two neighborhoods, NYC Health said it believes the likely source of the bacteria is a cooling tower in the area, which sprays a mist that contains the bacteria. All area cooling towers were being tested for the bacteria, NYC Health said then.
There is no issue with any building's plumbing system and residents in the affected areas can continue to drink tap water, bathe, shower, cook and use their air conditioners, NYC Health further said in the notice.
On Tuesday, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration was implementing measures to publicly identify the specific buildings suspected as being sources of Legionella bacteria and require owners to clean cooling towers quickly.
Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling the Legionella bacteria in small droplets of water mixed in the air or by contaminated water otherwise entering the lungs.
The bacteria are found naturally in fresh water but in amounts that generally don't lead to disease. The bacteria typically grow best in warm water and in warm to hot temperatures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The disease does not generally spread from person to person but infections can occur if the bacteria get into a building's water supply, including in shower heads, sink faucets, hot water tanks, heaters, cooling towers and other plumbing systems.
Legionnaires' disease has increased in prevalence over the last decade, reaching a peak in the U.S. of 2.71 cases per 100,000 in 2018, the CDC said. Cases declined during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and then rebounded in 2021.
Although most people recover from Legionnaires' disease with antibiotics, certain patients – including those who are immunocompromised or who suffer from chronic lung diseases – can develop complications that can be fatal.
About one out of every 10 people who develop Legionnaires' disease will die due to complications, according to the CDC. Among those who develop Legionnaires' disease at a healthcare facility, about one of every four people will die, the CDC says.
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(GENEVA) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that the hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship is over.
It came after the final contact of a person exposed to the virus on the cruise ship completed their quarantine period, according to WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The recommended quarantine and monitoring period for hantavirus exposure is 42 days.
The individual tested negative and returned home. No further cases have been reported since May 25, Tedros said during a media briefing.
As of Thursday, there have been a total of 13 cases of hantavirus -- 12 confirmed and one probable -- and three deaths, of which at least two have been confirmed, according to the WHO. All cases have been passengers or crew members on the ship.
Tedros said more than 650 contacts were identified and followed up by health authorities in 33 countries and territories.
"Although the outbreak is over, WHO will continue working with governments and partners to advance our understanding of this outbreak and of hantavirus more generally," Tedros said. "We are also coordinating a study involving 21 countries to understand how the disease develops, which will support the development of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines for future outbreaks."
Last week, quarantine ended for the 18 Americans who were cruise ship passengers on the MV Hondius and exposed to hantavirus.
The WHO said it received notification on May 2 of a cluster of "severe acute respiratory illness" aboard the MV Hondius, including two deaths and one critically ill passenger
The working hypothesis behind the cluster is that the first case was infected with hantavirus while on land, before boarding the cruise ship, according to the WHO.
At least 11 confirmed cases tested positive for Andes virus, a rare strain of hantavirus, and the only one that is known to transmit between people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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(NEW YORK) -- The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has surpassed 1,000 Ebola cases as the country's deadly outbreak continues.
The DRC Ministry of Health reported 1,003 confirmed cases and 254 confirmed deaths as of Sunday evening. There are 365 patients either hospitalized or in isolation, according to the ministry.
Contact tracing remains a concern, officials said. The Ministry of Health said only 58% of identified contacts have been followed up with, far below the desired 90% to 95% target needed to contain the outbreak, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Bonheur Baeni, project manager for the Ebola emergency for the humanitarian NGO CARE, told ABC News that there has been a great amount of misinformation in affected communities that has made it difficult to contain the virus.
"It is in fact among the great challenges, the misinformation that is characterized by rumors, rumors that circulate on social networks, rumors that also circulate mouth-to-mouth," he told ABC News in French. "It really makes the population resistant."
Baeni said the group is working with the Ministry of Health and other partners to engage with the community and answer questions that people have. They are also working with trusted leaders within the community to help combat the misinformation.
"You see that it creates a climate of trust," Baeni said. "It creates a confidence climate because it's their brother, it's a member of the community."
The Ministry of Health wrote on X that "response teams continue active investigations, epidemiological surveillance, and prevention actions in affected areas."
Health officials added that eight more people have recovered from Ebola, bringing the total number of recoveries to 100.
Meanwhile, UNICEF warned on Monday that an estimated 2.95 million children and adolescents aged 18 and under -- representing 54% of the population in 31 affected health zones -- are at risk from Ebola and the breakdown of essential services in the eastern DRC.
"Our teams in Ituri [province] have met children who have lost their mothers, and in some cases both parents, to Ebola," Catherine Russell, UNICEF executive director, said in a statement. "Children are trying to make sense of the threat while surrounded by rumors and online misinformation."
UNICEF said children and adolescents make up about 15% of confirmed Ebola cases and more than 25% of confirmed deaths in the eastern DRC as of June 19, and that children and adolescents with confirmed Ebola are almost twice as likely to die as adults
In Ituri province, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, dozens of children have been orphaned, according to UNICEF. The agency said that 135 of those children are receiving support, including psychosocial care.
In neighboring Uganda, there are at least 20 confirmed cases, in large part linked to cross-border transmission from the DRC, and two deaths, according to UNICEF. The agency said children have also been affected in Uganda, with at least one child who has tested positive and 19 children under quarantine monitoring.
"Children are especially vulnerable because they depend on caregivers and cannot distance themselves from a sick parent or sibling in the same way that an adult can," Russell said. "To better protect children, we need sustained access, and the resources needed to reach every affected community."
ABC News' Dada Jovanovic and Zoe Magee contributed to this report.
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