{"id":3017,"date":"2026-07-08T21:03:57","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T21:03:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=3017"},"modified":"2026-07-08T21:03:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T21:03:57","slug":"parasite-outbreak-in-nc-and-17-other-states-cdc-says-what-to-know-about-cases-symptoms-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlotterelocationguide.com\/?p=3017","title":{"rendered":"Parasite outbreak in NC and 17 other states, CDC says. What to know about cases, symptoms"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.<\/p>\n

Read our AI Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n

More than 100 people living in the United States have contracted a parasitic illness<\/b> since May 1, and 20 people have been hospitalized, according to the CDC.<\/a><\/p>\n

Read more Who are MLS All-Stars coming to Charlotte? The list has three from Charlotte FC<\/a><\/p>\n

Cyclosporiasis is an infection<\/a> caused by the single-celled parasite cyclospora, and can cause \u201cexplosive\u201d intestinal symptoms<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Cyclosporiasis \u201cusually causes watery diarrhea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements.\u201d according to the CDC. Cyclosporiasis is reportable in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City.<\/p>\n

At least 110 cases have been reported in North Carolina since May 1, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.<\/a> But according to the CDC, fewer than 10 of those were contracted in the United States.<\/p>\n

Cyclosporiasis can be treated with a combination antibiotic, Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole<\/a>. Most people recover without treatment<\/b>, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.<\/a><\/p>\n

Dr. John Sanders<\/a>, an infectious disease expert at Atrium Health, said on Wednesday, July 8 that while a source of infection within the United States has not been identified, it is likely a food product<\/b>. Raw produce is a typical culprit, because it may not be cooked or adequately cleaned to remove the parasite.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs of right now, they have not been able to identify what that source is, but I think it\u2019s a safe bet to assume that in a national outbreak like this, there\u2019s a contaminated food product<\/b>, commercial food product that was distributed nationwide, and we are exposed to it in that way,\u201d Sanders said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who do experience symptoms, the majority of them are mild to moderate<\/b>, and typically don\u2019t come in for care. We just recommend maintaining hydration<\/b>, drink a lot of fluid. You can continue to eat,<\/b> and most people will just get over it. If it\u2019s moderate to severe, and people come in to be seen, it responds very well to some standard antibiotics,\u201d Sanders said.<\/p>\n

Read more Ham the Astrochimp, first ape in space who retired to the NC Zoo, finally gets his due<\/a><\/p>\n

According to the CDC<\/a>, symptoms include:<\/b><\/p>\n

Less common symptoms may include:<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes about a week incubating in our system before we begin to get symptoms, but there is no report anywhere ever of human to human direct transmission<\/b>,\u201d Sanders said.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, cyclospora infections appear to go away and then return, as the body fails to fully fight off the infection. The intestinal problems often last longer than typical food poisoning or stomach bugs<\/b>, which can indicate a sick person should go to the hospital.<\/p>\n

The cases are in 18 states, including North Carolina. The largest number of cases contracted in the United States are in New York, Illinois, Texas and Michigan, where nearly 1,000 cases have been identified as of July 8<\/a> (online CDC data has not been updated<\/a> to reflect Michigan cases).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know where it\u2019s 100% coming from, but we can say pretty safely it\u2019s not coming from our public water sources. It\u2019s never ever been reported in a US public water source,\u201d Sanders said. \u201cIt is almost certainly coming from an imported food, likely a vegetable, herb or berry<\/b>. So, I think you know, we should all take caution as we\u2019re preparing our salads, preparing our vegetables.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cyclospora is typically resistant to most of the chemicals people use to clean, like chlorine and iodine, Sanders said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need to use soap and water, it\u2019s really just about the mechanical washing it off. And then dry it, dry the vegetables, that will reduce the risk substantially,\u201d Sanders said.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how the FDA recommends cleaning produce:<\/p>\n

Inspired by a story from The Telegraph<\/a> in Georgia.<\/i><\/p>\n

Questions about life in North Carolina? Or have a tip or story idea you\u2019d like to share? The service journalism teams at The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer want to hear from you.<\/p>\n

Read more Parasite outbreak in NC and 17 other states, CDC says. What to know about cases, symptoms<\/a><\/p>\n

You can submit your question by filling out this form<\/a><\/b>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Over 100 U.S. cases of cyclospora since May 1. Most recover without care; know signs like watery diarrhea, when to seek help, and how to clean produce.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2925,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nParasite outbreak in NC and 17 other states, CDC says. 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