Health officials in Michigan confirmed the first deaths in connection with the ongoing outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection known for causing explosive diarrhea, that has impacted Americans nationwide.
Michigan, which has led the U.S. case count, reported 11,234 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis and the two resulting deaths on Monday, Aug. 3. The state's health department noted that both patients had "significant underlying health conditions" that may have been impacted by the illness and resulting dehydration.
Ohio is second in the nation for cyclosporiasis, with more than 4,000 cases reported in the Ohio Department of Health's update on July 31.
Health officials in Michigan didn't immediately provide further information about the deceased.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not yet released a statement, but a banner atop its cyclospora tracking page on Aug. 3 read, "CDC is aware of two cyclosporiasis-related deaths in people with underlying health conditions from Michigan as part of this outbreak."
Cyclosporasis is not generally considered deadly, though it can cause serious disease in certain at-risk people. In fact, death from the infection is "uncommon" in the United States, state health officials said.
Ohio and Michigan have led the charge in reporting confirmed cyclosporiasis cases, tracking numbers that well outpace federal totals. This is because cases tracked by the CDC are updated weekly and only reported if they have been laboratory-confirmed, occurred since May 1, and cleared several other hurdles to be added to the nationwide count. CDC numbers tend to experience a six-week lag, according to the agency.
The latest CDC update on July 28 reported 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases of the illness across 45 states since May 1, an increase of more than 2,500 since its last report on July 21. Thousands of other suspected cases have not yet been confirmed by laboratories.
Ohio cyclosporiasis cases climb above 4,000
Ohio added another 1,500 cases of cyclosporiasis last week amid a nationwide outbreak.
As of July 31, the Ohio Department of Health is reporting 4,013 cases of cyclosporiasis in 80 counties so far in 2026. That's up from 2,576 cases in 78 counties as of July 23. All but nine of the cases occurred in June and July, mostly since June 20.
The most cases in Ohio are in Lucas County in the northwest portion of the state, which reports 554, up from 435 the previous week. Cuyahoga County reports 459 cases, up from 446. Wood County, just to the south of Lucas, reports 446 cases, up from 309.
Ohio cyclosporiasis cases are 5,180% higher so far this year than all of last year, 76 in 2025 vs. 4,013 through July 31, 2026.
How do I know if I have cyclosporiasis? Symptoms, testing
Symptoms of cyclosporiasis may include:
- Explosive, watery diarrhea (most common)
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Cramping
- Bloating
- Increased gas
- Nausea
- Fatigue
Less common symptoms may include:
- Vomiting
- Body aches
- Headache
- Low-grade fever
- Other flu-like symptoms
Symptoms begin about a week after being infected and can last anywhere from a few days to a month or longer without treatment. Some symptoms, such as diarrhea, may go away and then return.
The illness is diagnosed by testing stool samples, according to the CDC.
Cyclosporiasis prevention. How to protect yourself
The CDC says the best way to prevent cyclosporiasis is to avoid food or water that may be contaminated with feces.
And to help do that, the agency recommends safe food-handling practices when dealing with produce, including:
- Wash hands with soap and water before and after handling or preparing raw fruits and vegetables.
- Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting or cooking.
- Scrub firm fruits and vegetables, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.
- Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables before preparing and eating.
- Refrigerate cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables as soon as possible (within two hours).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michigan reports first two deaths connected with cyclosporiasis outbreak
