Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic parasite that causes an intestinal illness known as cyclosporiasis. It is not new and has been well-studied for decades. Cases tend to rise in the warmer months, typically May through August. Cyclosporiasis has a favorable outcome and there are no reported long-term health consequences.

What are the symptoms of Cyclospora infection?

Symptoms include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating, nausea, and fatigue. The illness can last from a few days to a month or more if left untreated. Some people infected with Cyclospora may not have any symptoms.

What should I do if I think I am sick with Cyclospora?

Contact your healthcare provider, who can order a stool test to look for the parasite. Cyclosporiasis is treatable with prescription antibiotics. If you are experiencing symptoms consistent with Cyclospora infection, seek medical attention promptly.

How does Cyclospora spread?

Cyclospora is spread by ingesting food or water contaminated with the parasite. It is not spread directly from person to person because the parasite needs time to become infectious after being passed in a bowel movement. The parasite must mature in the environment before it can cause infection in another person.

How can I reduce my risk of Cyclospora infection?

Follow standard food safety practices: wash your hands thoroughly, rinse fresh produce under running water, and clean food preparation surfaces. Follow public health guidance regarding recreational water quality. These everyday practices help reduce the risk of many foodborne illnesses, including cyclosporiasis.

Has a source of the 2026 Cyclospora outbreak been identified?

No. As of July 2026, no specific food, farm, grower, or supplier has been identified as the source of the outbreak in Michigan and Ohio. IFPA notes potential environmental factors such as municipal sewage overflows impacting Lake Erie and local water quality may be contributing factors.

Why is it difficult to identify the source of a Cyclospora outbreak?

Unlike bacteria, the Cyclospora parasite replicates only in humans, which makes DNA fingerprinting and molecular typing techniques less reliable for tracing the source of an outbreak. This limitation makes it more challenging for investigators to link cases to a specific food or environmental source.

Should consumers stop eating fresh produce because of Cyclospora?

No. Health officials do not recommend that consumers stop eating fresh produce. Standard food safety practices, including washing produce under running water, are advised. Fresh fruits and vegetables remain an essential part of a healthy diet.

Are the 2026 Cyclospora case numbers unusual?

In Michigan and Ohio, yes — the regional cluster is higher than expected and is under active investigation. Across the rest of the United States, national case counts remain within the historical average for this time of year.

Cyclospora Outbreak 2026: FAQs for Consumers

July 29, 2026

Cyclospora Outbreak July 2026

Last updated: July 29, 2026 / 5:30 PM — This page will be updated as new information becomes available.

Public health officials in nine states are investigating a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis. FDA and CDC have linked a subcluster of this outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce. Taylor Farms has issued a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, and Taco Bell has removed the affected product from its restaurants. A separate, broader investigation into additional cyclosporiasis clusters across the country continues, and no specific product has been identified as the source of those clusters.

IFPA has been in contact with officials investigating the outbreaks since early July, and we've put together answers to the questions we're hearing most based on what is known right now. We may update this page as new information is released about this current outbreak.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is Cyclospora and what does it do?

What is Cyclospora? Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic, waterborne parasite that can cause an intestinal illness called cyclosporiasis. It's been a known, if uncommon, cause of foodborne illness in the U.S. for decades, with cases typically rising in the warmer months (May – August). Of note, infections with Cyclospora generally have a favorable outcome, even in immunocompromised patients, and no significant long-term health consequences have been reported.

The good news: most people who get sick recover fully, even those with weakened immune systems, and there haven't been any lasting health effects reported.

What are the symptoms? The most common symptom is watery diarrhea, often along with loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating, nausea, and fatigue. Symptoms can start, on average, about a week after exposure and, without treatment, can last from a few days to a few months. It's treatable with prescription antibiotics, but can also self-resolve.

What should I do if I think I'm sick? Contact your healthcare provider, especially if you have prolonged watery diarrhea. Cyclosporiasis is treatable with prescription antibiotics, and a healthcare provider can confirm diagnosis with a stool test.

Are some people at greater risk than others? Yes. Most healthy adults recover fully with appropriate antibiotic treatment. The illness can be more severe and longer-lasting for people with weakened immune systems, including those living with HIV, organ transplant recipients, or people on immunosuppressive medications. If you or someone in your household is immunocompromised and experiencing symptoms consistent with Cyclospora, it's worth contacting a healthcare provider promptly and specifically asking about Cyclospora testing.

Current Outbreak

Has a specific food been identified as the source of this outbreak? Yes. FDA and CDC have linked a subcluster of this outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at certain Taco Bell locations in 9 states. FDA's traceback identified Taylor Farms de Mexico as the supplier. On July 17, Taylor Farms announced a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico, distributed to 27 states between June 29 and July 16. Taco Bell has completed removal of the affected lettuce from its restaurants.

For the remaining, broader clusters outside this specific subcluster, no specific food, farm, grower, or supplier has been confirmed as the source. .

We will continue to update this page as FDA and CDC release further information, but see FDA's or CDC’s investigation page for current status.

While investigators are focusing on foods, IFPA continues to raise concerns about recent municipal sewage overflows in the greater Detroit/Toledo region and the likelihood of these events impacting the quality of drinking water (especially water wells) and recreational water in Lake Erie and surrounding bodies of water. Cyclospora is fundamentally a waterborne parasite, and IFPA believes a comprehensive investigation should consider all scientifically plausible sources of contamination, including agricultural water, post-harvest water systems, and other environmental reservoirs, alongside food. Water exposure remains an important line of inquiry.

Has any product been recalled in connection with this outbreak? Yes. On July 17, Taylor Farms de Mexico announced a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. A complete list of affected products, lot codes, and use-by dates is available on FDA's recall notice.

Has the recalled product tested positive for Cyclospora? As of FDA's most recent update, there are no confirmed positive sample results for product testing for Cyclospora. See FDA's investigation page for current status.

The product that was used at the reporting of the false positive result was from a routine ramdom sampling, which is something that FDA does commonly throughout the year. This product was not associated with the product that was voluntarily recalled.

Why are some restaurants removing certain menu items? Taco Bell removed shredded iceberg lettuce from its restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia after FDA and CDC identified it as linked to this outbreak. Taco Bell has stated it has completed removal of the affected lettuce. The supplier, Taylor Farms de Mexico, issued a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico on July 17. We'd encourage anyone with questions about a specific restaurant's decision to reach out to that company/location directly.

Are these case numbers unusual? Yes. Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services has reported more than 9,200 confirmed cases as of the most recent reporting, far above the state's typical annual total. Ohio has also reported case counts well above its usual seasonal range. These state-reported totals include both confirmed and probable cases, which is part of why they run higher than the federal confirmed-case count described below.

It's worth understanding that public health agencies routinely monitor cyclosporiasis cases in groups, or clusters, across the country each season as a normal part of surveillance, and this year is no different in that respect. CDC and state partners continue to investigate additional clusters beyond the confirmed subcluster. This is a standard part of how outbreaks are investigated, comparing cases across different areas to see whether any share a common thread, not a sign that the situation is broader or more severe than what's already been described here.

Nationally, CDC reports 1,645 confirmed domestically acquired cases since May 1, across 34 states, though CDC has noted its tally lags behind state health department reporting, which reflects the higher state-level totals noted above. CDC has previously stated this year's case count is substantially higher than the 249 cases reported nationally by the same point last year.

Why does Cyclospora tend to show up in certain places or times of year? Cyclospora is closely tied to environmental conditions. The parasite needs warmth and moisture to become infectious, so cases tend to rise in the summer, and clusters can follow periods of heavy rainfall or water system disruptions, which can affect water used in irrigation or food handling as well as recreational water areas (however, this correlation does not hold in locations outside of continental North America). There was documented, significant rainfall and combined sewer overflow activity in parts of the affected region in mid-June. IFPA believes this timing warrants consideration as a possible contributing factor, alongside food, though we are not aware of confirmation that state or federal investigators are currently examining it.

How it spreads

**How does someone get Cyclospora?** People get infected by ingesting contaminated food and/or water. Unlike many foodborne pathogens, Cyclospora is most commonly associated with environmental contamination involving water, and historically, outbreaks have been attributed to a variety of fresh produce commodities as well as contaminated irrigation or processing water, reinforcing why investigators need to evaluate all plausible contamination pathways rather than assuming food alone is the source.

Importantly, the parasite requires time outside the human host before becoming infectious, meaning a person who is sick with cyclosporiasis cannot pass it directly to someone else the way a cold or flu spreads. This delay also means contamination events often happen well before the resulting illnesses are even recognized as part of an outbreak, which is a significant part of why finding the exact source takes time.

Is Cyclospora contagious? Not in the way many people assume. Humans are the only known host of Cyclospora, so there's no evidence pets or livestock can carry or spread it. And because the parasite needs 7-15 days to mature in the environment before it can infect someone, it doesn't spread directly from person to person the way a cold or the flu does.

That means a couple of things people often wonder about: a sick employee or a member of a household isn't shedding a form of the parasite that could immediately contaminate food they touch that day (though sick employees are still kept away from food handling as a standard precaution). And within a household, if more than one person gets sick around the same time, it's far more likely they all ate or drank the same contaminated thing, not that one person spread it to another. In rural areas that use septic tanks and well water, there is a possibility of introducing infectious forms of the parasite into well water, although this outcome would likely be impacted by failure of the septic system or excessive rainfall and/or flooding.

How does Cyclospora end up in a production environment? Because Cyclospora cayetanensis only infects humans, it can only enter a farm environment if human waste is not properly managed, for example wastewater reaching agricultural water or soil in a way that shouldn't happen. Oocysts shed by an infected person are not immediately infective though. They need 7-15 days in a warm, moist environment to mature before they can cause illness, which means the contamination pathway almost always runs through the environment rather than directly from person to produce.

What does water have to do with Cyclospora on a farm? While infected individuals are the only source of Cyclospora, water is believed to be a way that Cyclospora travels into and through a production environment. Surface water sources including rivers, canals, ponds, and reservoirs can carry oocysts if exposed to sewage or inadequate sanitation upstream. If irrigation or processing water comes into contact with a compromised sewage line, a poorly maintained septic system, or runoff from a nearby facility with inadequate sanitation controls, it can carry the parasite to crops before or after harvest. Soil can also harbor oocysts for weeks to months, and flooding or runoff can move them into production areas.

How does Cyclospora actually get onto fresh produce? Once the parasite is present in water or soil, there are a few main ways it can end up on a crop.

Overhead watering is the most direct route for leafy greens and herbs, since water sprayed onto the plant lands right on the leaves people eventually eat. Drip irrigation, which waters the roots instead of the leaves, carries meaningfully lower risk for this reason, though it doesn't remove every source of contamination, since splashing soil can still reach low-growing plants. Heavy rain or flooding can do the same thing, splashing contaminated soil or water directly onto crops.

Contamination can also happen after harvest, not just in the field. Water used for washing, cooling, or packing produce, or contact with dirty surfaces or equipment at a packing facility, can introduce contamination even after the crop leaves the ground. This is part of why both farm water and post-harvest processing water are separately regulated, which we cover further below.

Can farms, municipal water systems, or recreational water facilities like pools add chlorine to water to eliminate Cyclospora? No, and this is an important distinction from most other waterborne pathogens. Chlorine and other standard antimicrobial chemical treatments are not considered effective against Cyclospora, regardless of whether they are applied at the farm level in an irrigation system, at a municipal water treatment facility, or in a recreational water setting such as a swimming pool or splash pad. This includes the chlorination levels typically used in all of those settings.

Alternative treatment approaches such as UV light, ozone, or microfiltration can reduce the parasite in water and may be appropriate depending on the source and the level of risk identified.

This is one of the reasons prevention at the source matters so much for Cyclospora specifically. For farms, that means the annual water assessment and source protection are the primary line of defense rather than chemical treatment after the fact. For municipalities, standard disinfection protocols that reliably handle bacteria and viruses do not provide the same assurance for this parasite. For pools and other recreational water facilities, the chlorine levels maintained for routine sanitation are not sufficient to kill Cyclospora, which is why people who swallow water in a pool or other recreational water body are not protected the way they might be from other waterborne illnesses. People traveling to regions where Cyclospora is more common should also be aware that locally treated tap water and recreational water may not eliminate the risk, even when it meets local treatment standards. CDC's July 14 health alert reinforces this directly, stating that 'no EPA-registered disinfectant products have been demonstrated to be effective against Cyclospora.

What consumers can do

What can I do to reduce my risk? Standard food-safety practices apply: wash your hands before and after preparing food, rinse fresh produce under running water, and thoroughly clean surfaces that come in contact with foods (kitchen counters, sinks, microwave tables, etc) with household chemicals labeled for that use. Use separate cutting boards for fresh produce and meats/poultry, and thoroughly wash them with hot water and dish detergents after each use. Separate fresh produce from meats/poultry and household chemicals in the fridge and pantry. When peeling fruits and vegetables, wash them first under running warm water with a scrubber. Prepared foods, including peeled or cut fruits and vegetables, should be refrigerated promptly and should not be left outside the fridge for longer than 2 hours. These are good practices at any time, not just during an active outbreak.

During recreational activities (swimming, water sports, visiting aquatic parks), it is imperative to follow the advice of public health officials based on water quality. If you experience gastrointestinal distress, follow your doctor’s advice on treatment and do not attend swimming pools, water parks, gatherings where food is prepared or served – while Cyclospora is not transmitted directly person-to-person, these are best food safety practices.

How to be a food-safety smart shopper? These practices apply to routine grocery shopping and should be followed consistently, not just during an active outbreak. Separate fresh produce, meats/poultry, and household chemicals both in the shopping cart and shopping bags. If using cloth shopping bags, wash them often in hot water with detergents, dry them thoroughly after washing, and keep them in a dry clean place between trips to the grocery store. Do not bring re-used containers (e.g. food storage-like containers) with you to grocery stores for loose, unpackaged items – even if you think that you cleaned containers thoroughly. When selecting unpackaged fruits or vegetables, select the ones closest to you – touching or squeezing produce just bruises it. Keep your hands clean when shopping. During warm months, bring your groceries home quickly – they should not sit in a trunk of a hot car.

Can chlorine or washing remove Cyclospora from produce? Not completely, and this is important to understand about this specific parasite.

Chlorine and other common disinfectants don't work well against it. Health officials have found that Cyclospora may resist routine chemical disinfection, including chlorine, and no approved disinfectant has been shown to fully get rid of it. This is different from many other germs, where chlorine-based cleaning does the job.

It is important to note that outbreaks of foodborne illness are rare, and the vast majority of consumers are not exposed to Cyclospora any given day. Using soaps, detergents or other home-made solutions for washing fruits and vegetables represents a more significant and well documented risk of poisoning.

Why are there so few options for dealing with Cyclospora at home? To test the effectiveness of any approach (e.g. chemical spray/wash or physical, like aggressive scrubbing/washing), researchers need to have access to live Cyclospora cells to test what kills them. However, Cyclospora cannot be grown in the lab, it does not grow in any laboratory animal or human cell/tissue culture. The only source of Cyclospora cells for research are those obtained from patients and this limits what’s available for studies on effectiveness of these treatments.

Should I stop eating fresh produce? We all want to know what caused this outbreak. Federal and state public health officials are conducting their investigations, and IFPA is closely monitoring developments as new information becomes available. As a trade association that represents the entire supply chain, we are providing resources to our members and support the work of public health agencies. As of now, there is no advisory from federal or state public health agencies to avoid consumption of any fresh produce items, and public health officials are not telling people to stop eating fruits and vegetables outside of those subject to a voluntary recall.

I am a consumer, what does a recall mean? A recall is the removal of a food product from the marketplace when there is reason to believe it may pose a health risk to consumers. In many cases, recalls are initiated voluntarily by a company in coordination with FDA.

For the confirmed subcluster tied to certain Taco Bell locations, FDA and CDC have identified the specific product: shredded iceberg lettuce from a single supplier sourced from central Mexico. That product has been recalled voluntarily. If you have any of the recalled product at home, per FDA's recall notice, you should discard it rather than eat it. Fresh produce sold in grocery stores today (at the time of publication of this FAQ) and served at other restaurants is not affected by this recall, unless otherwise identified in the recall notice. If there are new advisories or voluntary recalls, we will make every effort to update this FAQ document in real time.

For the broader, separate clusters still under investigation, no specific product, grower, or supplier has been identified.

This is a good moment to reiterate standard produce safety habits, covered in more detail above: wash fresh produce thoroughly before eating it. This is a useful habit generally, not a signal that a specific danger currently exists in the produce you're buying today.

Testing and Traceback

How does a doctor test for Cyclospora if someone is sick? Testing for Cyclospora requires a stool sample, but it will not show up on the standard parasite test that most labs run as a matter of routine. A doctor must specifically ask the lab to look for it, and the lab must use the right technique to find it. This is one of the reasons Cyclospora infections are frequently missed or diagnosed late.

There are two main ways labs look for it. The first is examining the sample under a microscope using special staining techniques that make the parasite visible. The most reliable approach uses ultraviolet light, under which Cyclospora naturally glows blue or green, but not all labs have that equipment. The second approach uses a DNA-based test called PCR, which looks for the parasite's genetic characteristics rather than trying to spot it visually. Some broader panels that test for many GI illnesses at once do include Cyclospora, but not all of them do, so a negative result on a general stomach illness panel does not automatically rule it out.

Can someone test negative even if they actually have Cyclospora? Yes. The parasite is shed in stool inconsistently and in small amounts, so a single negative sample does not rule it out. Doctors are advised to test at least three separate stool samples on different days before concluding a result is truly negative. If you have persistent, unexplained watery diarrhea and a first test came back negative, it's reasonable to ask your doctor about additional testing.

How do investigators test produce for Cyclospora, and is that the same as the clinical test? It is a similar concept but a different process, and the two are not interchangeable.

When investigators test produce, they wash the surface of the food and then test the wash liquid for signs of the parasite's DNA. They are not testing the food itself in the way you might imagine. The FDA has an official method for this which was updated relatively recently. The method can detect very small amounts of contamination, as few as five oocysts (the microscopic form of the parasite) on a sample.

Do all labs use the same method to test produce for Cyclospora? No. The FDA has an official validated method (BAM Chapter 19b) that its regulatory labs use, but there is currently no international standard requiring all labs to follow the same approach. The International Organization for Standardization is in the process of developing one, but until it exists, labs in different countries, and potentially different labs within the U.S., may be using approaches with different levels of sensitivity and precision. This makes it harder to compare results across investigations and complicates coordination during international outbreaks.

What does a negative test result on produce actually mean? Testing is one important tool in outbreak investigations, but it works best when samples are collected early and in sufficient quantity. The FDA's validated method for detecting Cyclospora on produce (BAM Chapter 19b) should be specific and scientifically rigorous. When samples are available and tested promptly, results are meaningful.

The challenge in many investigations is not the method itself but the combination of two compounding factors. First, investigators frequently do not yet know which product, if any, to test. Identifying the vehicle requires patient interviews, purchase records, and traceback work that takes time, and until that picture comes together, there is no clear target. Second, by the time a likely vehicle is identified, the implicated product (if food) has often already been consumed or has deteriorated past the point where reliable testing is possible.

When testing is part of a well-coordinated, timely response with a clearly identified vehicle, it is a valuable piece of that larger picture.

What makes identification of a source of a Cyclospora infection difficult? Unlike common bacterial pathogens like Salmonella or E. coli, Cyclospora is a parasite with a more complex biology. The way it reproduces (replicates only inside a human host) makes whole-genome DNA fingerprinting tools unavailable, which means investigators have fewer tools to quickly connect individual cases to a common source or trace them back to a specific food or farm. This is one reason outbreak investigations involving Cyclospora take longer than those involving bacteria. CDC has developed a genotyping tool that can help link cases during an investigation, and it has been used in past outbreaks, but it is still being refined and does not yet provide the same speed or resolution as the whole-genome sequencing routinely used for bacterial pathogens.

Why is it so hard to trace Cyclospora back through the supply chain? Fresh produce supply chains are complex by nature, and that complexity works against fast traceback even when investigators have a strong lead, and it's substantially harder still when they don't. A single bag of salad mix, for example, can combine lettuce varieties from multiple growers, sometimes across different states or countries, that are washed, mixed, and packed together at a single facility. Once commingled, there's no way to separate out which grower's product is in any given bag. Restaurant supply chains add another layer: a single menu item can draw ingredients from multiple distributors, and a chain's locations in one region may not all source from the same supplier.

This complexity is compounded by Cyclospora's biology, which limits nearly every tool investigators would normally rely on. Unlike bacteria such as Salmonella or E. coli, Cyclospora can't be cultured in a lab, which limits how well standard whole-genome DNA fingerprinting techniques work for linking individual cases to a common source. CDC has developed a genotyping tool that can help link cases during an investigation, and it has been used in past outbreaks, but it is still being refined and does not yet provide the same speed or resolution as whole-genome sequencing.

Produce testing has its own limitations too, since perishable products are often gone by the time a lead emerges, and even when samples are available, detection sensitivity drops off at low contamination levels. That leaves patient interviews and purchase records as an important piece of the puzzle, but not a substitute for the physical and laboratory evidence that's harder to come by with this parasite. This combination, limited lab tools, limited testing windows, and a genuinely complex supply chain, is why outbreak investigations involving Cyclospora consistently take longer, and are harder to resolve, than those involving bacteria. For all of these reasons, findings in a Cyclospora investigation are strongest when they're supported by multiple, complementary lines of evidence, epidemiologic, environmental, traceback, and laboratory, together, rather than resting on any single source of evidence in isolation.

These same commingling and complex supply chain challenges are exactly what FDA's FSMA 204 Food Traceability Rule is designed to address. The rule requires companies that manufacture, process, pack, or hold certain higher-risk foods to capture and share standardized Key Data Elements (KDEs) at Critical Tracking Events, so investigators can pinpoint the source of contamination faster during an outbreak. IFPA has been actively shaping how this rule is implemented in real produce operations, advocating for practical, technology-enabled traceability that strengthens traceback without disrupting product flow. Learn more on our FSMA 204 Traceability Resources page.

Is anything being done to address these supply chain traceability challenges? Yes. FDA's FSMA 204 Food Traceability Rule is designed to address the commingling and complex supply-chain challenges described above. It should also be noted that while federal compliance with FSMA 204 is delayed, a majority of grower/shippers have already implemented traceability in their operations. IFPA has been actively educating industry members on traceability, advocating for end-to-end traceability, and proposing technological solutions that will leverage modern tools to minimize human error that could be unavoidable during manual tracebacks. IFPA advocacy focuses on bringing the entire supply chain into compliance using a Warehouse Management System.

Learn more on our FSMA 204 Traceability Resources page, which contains webinar recording and useful tools designed to support traceability adoption across the industry. While built primarily for industry members, the content there may also be useful for consumers wanting a deeper understanding of how traceability works.

Can genomic sequencing help trace Cyclospora outbreaks? Genomic sequencing is possible but far more limited than what's used for bacterial pathogens, for a specific and persistent reason: Cyclospora cannot be grown or cultured in a lab. Every genetic sample has to come directly from purified stool specimens, a slow, technically difficult process that typically yields only tiny amounts of usable DNA. Because of that, full whole-genome sequencing, the gold-standard tool used routinely for Salmonella and E. coli investigations, isn't practical for Cyclospora as a routine outbreak tool. As of recent published research, only a few dozen Cyclospora genomes have ever been fully sequenced worldwide.

Instead, CDC has used a more targeted approach since 2018: a method that reads eight specific genetic markers (rather than the organism's entire genome) to generate a partial genetic profile for each case, which can then be compared across patients to see whether cases might share a common source. This has genuinely helped investigators in past outbreaks, but researchers who developed and use this method have themselves noted it has limited resolving power compared to full genome sequencing, meaning it can suggest cases are related without offering the same level of certainty bacterial genome matching provides.

Newer research has developed methods aimed at reading far more genetic markers, and even at applying this directly to contaminated produce samples rather than just patient stool, which could eventually help link illnesses to a specific product more precisely. These newer approaches show promise in published studies, but aren't yet established as a routine, everyday tool the way genomic sequencing is for bacterial outbreaks.

Bottom line: genomic tools for Cyclospora exist and are improving, but they remain meaningfully behind what's available for bacterial pathogens, which is a real, documented reason investigations involving this parasite take longer and rely more heavily on epidemiological interviews.

Regulatory and Industry

What are the FSMA requirements for Cyclospora prevention? The federal Produce Safety Rule (21 CFR Part 112) doesn't call out Cyclospora specifically, but several of its rules directly help prevent it, mainly because humans are the parasite's only known source. Broadly, the rule focuses on two things: keeping sick workers away from produce, and keeping water sources clean.

On the worker side, farms are required to keep any employee who is sick, or appears to be sick, away from tasks involving produce or anything that touches produce (§112.31). Farms must also train workers on proper hygiene, and toilet and handwashing facilities have to be placed and maintained so they can't contaminate crops, food-contact surfaces, or water sources (§112.32).

On the water side, farms are required to review their water supply every year, looking at where it comes from, how it's used on crops, and whether anything nearby could affect its quality. If that review turns up a concern, farms have to take action to fix it, and they're required to move especially quickly if the concern involves nearby sanitation issues. Water used after harvest, for washing or cooling produce, is held to an even stricter, testable standard.

For more detail on the water-specific requirements, see the questions below.

Are farms required to do anything about their water to prevent this? Yes. Under the FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, farms that grow fruits and vegetables covered by the rule must meet standards for agricultural water, which is any water used during growing, harvesting, packing, or holding that is likely to contact the produce or surfaces that touch the produce. The core requirement is that all agricultural water must be safe and of adequate sanitary quality for its intended use.

What specifically are farms required to do to check their water? As of a 2024 update to the rule, farms are required to take a careful, documented look at their water supply every year before and during the growing season. This goes beyond simply running a water test against a numeric standard. It is a whole-picture review: where the water comes from, how it moves through the farm, how it is applied to crops through irrigation systems, and whether anything nearby could affect its quality. That includes evaluating surrounding land uses such as wastewater treatment facilities, septic systems, and portable or fixed restroom facilities, whether those are located on the farm itself or on neighboring properties. Importantly, if a neighboring property is upstream of a farm's water supply and the farm cannot get information about what that neighbor is doing, the rule expects the farm to account for that uncertainty by treating it as a potential risk rather than assuming everything is fine. Based on what they find, farms determine whether any changes or safeguards are needed, with the goal of catching potential issues before produce ever reaches a store shelf.

What happens if the assessment finds a problem with the water? Finding a potential issue does not mean a farm is in trouble. It means the system is working as intended. When an assessment identifies a concern, farms are required to take steps to address it, and the rule gives them several practical options for doing so. They might repair or upgrade part of the water system, change how water is delivered to crops (for example, switching from overhead sprinklers that spray water onto leaves to drip irrigation that delivers water directly to the roots instead), or treat the water using a method verified to be effective. For concerns tied to sanitation issues on nearby land, the rule asks farms to act on a faster timeline than they would for other types of issues, reflecting how seriously that particular risk is taken.

Are water safety requirements under the rule limited to the growing season, or do they extend to harvest and packing as well? They extend well beyond harvest. Water used for washing, cooling, transporting, or packing produce after it leaves the field is also regulated under the rule, and it is actually held to a stricter standard than pre-harvest water. It must meet a specific measurable microbial quality criterion with no detectable generic E. coli per 100 milliliters of water, and it is subject to testing requirements rather than the assessment-based approach used for pre-harvest water. Water used to make ice that contacts produce and water used for handwashing during harvest activities are also included in these requirements.

Some third-party audit programs go further still on water quality, requiring that water used in post-harvest operations meet potable (drinking-quality) standards rather than simply the regulatory criterion of no detectable E. coli. For a parasite like Cyclospora, where E. coli testing does not directly indicate the parasite's presence or absence, that higher standard provides a meaningful additional layer of protection.

What can growers do to reduce the risk of Cyclospora contamination on their farm? It's important to be direct about something here: there is currently no FDA guidance or validated, Cyclospora-specific protocol that tells growers exactly how to prevent contamination. This is a real gap, not an oversight, it reflects how difficult this particular parasite is to study and detect, something we've noted throughout this page.

What does exist is general Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), which are believed to reduce risk broadly across many pathogens, though they were not developed or validated specifically against Cyclospora. Beyond that, researchers at the University of Florida have published practical recommendations specifically discussing Cyclospora, offering thoughtful, expert-informed suggestions rather than an established or validated protocol. Prevention of Cyclospora Contamination and Transmission on the Farm (UF/IFAS Extension) and Preventing Foodborne Illness: Cyclospora cayetanensis (USDA/NIFA).

Their key recommendations include the following, though growers with specific questions are encouraged to consult their local university extension service, regulatory contacts, or other qualified technical resources for guidance tailored to their specific situation.

Know your water sources. Map all water sources on and adjacent to your farm, including nearby sewage systems, septic tanks, and drain fields. After crops are established, avoid using surface water for any activity that contacts the harvestable portion of the crop. Where water quality is uncertain, use potable (drinking-quality) water for washing produce and for any post-harvest activities that contact food surfaces.
Have a plan for weather events. Flooding and heavy rainfall can move contamination from sanitation infrastructure into growing areas and water systems. UF researchers specifically recommend developing a written corrective action plan for significant weather events before they occur, not after.
Maintain sanitation infrastructure. Provide sufficient, accessible, and properly functioning toilet facilities for all workers. Use reputable companies for cleaning and maintaining portable toilets and site those facilities away from growing areas and all water sources. Have written corrective action procedures in place for any spills or leaks.
Train workers thoroughly and in their language. Training materials should be appropriate for workers' native language and background, and should cover proper handwashing, recognizing illness symptoms, not working while sick, and correct use of toilet facilities.
Avoid untreated manure. Do not use untreated manure as fertilizer on crops eaten raw. If composted amendments are used, follow applicable USDA guidelines on timing and application.

IFPA Actions to Date

What is IFPA doing? IFPA has been monitoring this situation since early July and remains in ongoing, active contact with CDC, FDA, and state health officials as the investigation has expanded to a multistate response. We're sharing verified updates with our members as they become available and are working to help make sure our members, our media partners and others have up to date information to understand the actual state of the evidence.

The fresh produce industry remains committed to food safety, continuous improvement, and transparency throughout outbreak investigations. Growers, packers, processors, shippers, retailers, foodservice operators, and regulators all share the common goal of identifying the true source of contamination as quickly and accurately as possible so that effective corrective actions can be implemented. Getting to the root cause matters not just for resolving this outbreak, but for minimizing the risk and the magnitude of another event.

Learn more on our FSMA 204 Traceability Resources page, which contains webinar recordings and useful tools designed to support traceability adoption across the industry and could be informative to the consumers. IFPA advocacy has and is focused on bringing the entire supply chain into compliance through the Warehouse Management System, a comprehensive approach to end-to-end traceability that recognizes realities and limitations of the entire supply chain and is incorporating technological approaches for filling compliance gaps.

IFPA supports FDA's continued traceback, environmental assessment, and product testing efforts, and encourages a comprehensive investigation that considers all scientifically plausible sources of contamination, including agricultural water, post-harvest water systems, environmental reservoirs, and other potential exposure pathways associated with this waterborne parasite. We also encourage continued collaboration among industry, FDA, CDC, state partners, and the research community to strengthen the scientific tools available for future investigations. Improvements in environmental detection methods, validated molecular typing technologies, and robust epidemiologic methodologies will help increase confidence in source attribution while minimizing unnecessary disruption to producers and consumers alike.

We recognize that an active investigation, combined with seasonal timing and elevated case counts across the affected states, has naturally raised questions and generated significant public attention, and that response is understandable. What we know, we will share. What remains under investigation, we will say so clearly rather than speculate.

Where can I get updates? This page will be updated as new information is confirmed. We encourage the public to rely on verified updates from public health agencies. For deeper technical background on the parasite and its relationship to the fresh produce industry, visit IFPA's Cyclospora resource page. For members with specific questions, IFPA's food safety experts are available.

Media Contact: Media@freshproduce.com

Food Safety Contact: Foodsafety@freshproduce.com

What Is Cyclospora? FAQs from IFPA

Current Outbreak

How it spreads

What consumers can do

IFPA Actions to Date

Additional Press