In the United States, nearly 16,000 people have become infected with a diarrhea-causing parasite.

Since the beginning of the season, more than 15.7 thousand laboratory—confirmed cases of infection with cyclospore, a parasite that causes intestinal disease with diarrhea, have been recorded in the United States. This was announced on August 18 by the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on its website.

According to the agency, from May 1 to August 17, 15,716 cases of cyclosporiasis acquired in the United States were registered in the country. Of these, 828 people were hospitalized, and two patients died.

The CDC clarified that the patients live in 47 states. The age of the patients ranged from one year to 99 years, with an average age of 46 years. More than half of the cases (57%) are women.

The agency noted that the cyclosporiasis season in the United States usually lasts from May to August. In 2026, the increase in cases is due, among other things, to the ongoing investigation of a multi-state outbreak related to recalled iceberg lettuce from central Mexico.

In addition, the CDC is studying several other groups of diseases, the source of which has not yet been identified. Together with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), experts conduct inspections and analyze possible links between cases.

Since the beginning of May, 1,681 cases of cyclospore infection have been identified in the United States related to travel outside the country. 61 hospitalizations were registered in this group, there were no deaths.

Cyclosporiasis is caused by the Cyclospora parasite and affects the gastrointestinal tract. The disease can be transmitted by the faecal-oral route through contaminated food and water. The CDC warns that the real number of cases may be higher than the official statistics, as some people do not seek medical help and do not undergo a laboratory examination.

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The Reuters news agency reported on July 13 that 2,640 people in the U.S. state of Michigan had contracted an infection caused by parasites. It is specified that 44 people were hospitalized due to infection. According to the newspaper, the diseases were recorded in 10 more American states. As noted by the Michigan Department of Health, the infection could have spread through lettuce or other foods.