WASHINGTON — A parasitic illness known for causing watery, sometimes explosive diarrhea has sickened hundreds of people across more than 17 states since May, with a surge in Michigan where cases have already more than tripled last year's full-season total, raising concern among public health officials heading into one of the country's most food-heavy holiday weekends.

Cyclosporiasis, caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis and commonly contracted through contaminated fresh produce, has been the focus of active investigations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and state health departments since the beginning of its annual warm-weather season. As of June 16, the most recent data available from the CDC's surveillance dashboard, 145 people across 17 states had contracted the infection after consuming food in the United States, with an additional 45 people who contracted the illness while traveling internationally tracked separately under a different category.

Of those 145 domestic cases, 20 people required hospitalization. No deaths were reported. The illness affected people ranging in age from 5 to 86, with a median age of 42.

Michigan's situation stands apart from the national picture. After the state recorded its first case of the season on June 22, the number of infections climbed rapidly. By July 1, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported more than 170 confirmed cases in the state, a number that dwarfed the roughly 50 total cases Michigan recorded for the entire 2025 season. Those Michigan figures are not yet reflected in the........

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