Overview
- Michigan is the epicenter, with state officials reporting about 1,562 cases and dozens hospitalized as the outbreak intensified Friday.
- The CDC and FDA are probing multiple multistate clusters spanning roughly 29–31 states but have not linked illnesses to one produce item, grower, or supplier.
- Investigators are using patient interviews, supply‑chain tracebacks and targeted genetic tests, yet Cyclospora’s long incubation, low DNA yield and inability to be cultured have slowed genomic linkage.
- Health officials advise washing and refrigerating produce, choosing whole heads of lettuce over prewashed mixes when possible, cooking vegetables to 158°F to kill the parasite, and seeking testing and treatment with trimethoprim‑sulfamethoxazole for persistent diarrhea.
- Testing backlogs and reporting lags at state and public health labs likely undercount true infections, which could prolong the probe and complicate targeted recalls or consumer warnings.