The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have warned about a growing parasitic outbreak that causes explosive diarrhea, which has delighted and disgusted the internet, because of course it has. It’s a little on the nose even for the low standards of public health we’ve become accustomed to under the Trump administration.
But it’s really no laughing matter. Michigan alone has reported more than 1,250 cases of cyclosporiasis, according to state officials, with 44 patients ending up in the hospital. That’s a lot more than the average of 50 cases the state sees annually. More than 30 other states are also reporting infections.
Cyclospora cayetanensi, the culprit responsible, is a microscopic parasite that attacks the intestinal tract, typically spread by unwashed produce like lettuce and green onions. It’s not yet clear what the source of these outbreaks are. Some Michigan Taco Bell locations, for example, are taking no chances and stopped offering cilantro, pico de gallo, guacamole and other fresh ingredients in their food. Infections are rarely life-threatening but the symptoms of watery diarrhea and explosive bowel movements are certainly severe. Cyclospora is not a new pathogen by any stretch, but the sheer numbers here are surprising, even to health officials.
Yet, this result was absolutely foreseeable and several medical experts predicted as much. Last year, the CDC stopped mandatory monitoring for six different foodborne illnesses, including cyclospora. The agency still has its eyes on Salmonella and a form of E. coli, but due to an onslaught of funding cuts and staffing shortages, it has had to shift priorities.
Having ‘explosive’ diarrhea? It could be from cyclosporiasis.
Cyclosporiasis, a parasitic foodborne illness, is spreading across the U.S., with more than 1,000 infections being reported.
Here’s what we know.
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— Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (@JohnsHopkinsSPH) July 10, 2026
In fact, part of the reason we know cases are so high in Michigan is because the state has maintained their surveillance program. Cyclospora is a lot less serious than some diseases, but the fact that these cases have exploded — quite literally — is yet another symptom of the anti-science priorities of Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is America healthy again yet?
