Cyclosporiasis Cases in New Jersey 2026. As of this writing United States has 145 recorded cases across 17 to 20 states, resulting in 20 hospitalizations and zero deaths. New Jersey has more or less 10 cases.

But first of all, what is this disease and how does it spread or infect kids, teens, and adults?

Primarily, this is caused by a PARASITE! Specifically, it is Cyclospora cayetanensis – a protozoan parasite!

Basically, a parasite is a living organism that lives on or inside another organism (called the host) and gets its food from or at the expense of that host.

Cyclosporiasis Cases in New Jersey 2026

There are already hundreds of cases in US according to CDC

As of June 16, 2026, 145 cases were reported in people who acquired cyclosporiasis in the United States. Cases were reported by 17 states. These people became sick after eating food in the United States and did not report any travel during the 14 days before they got sick.

Sick people ranged in age from 5 to 86 years, with a median age of 42, and 61% were female. The median illness onset date was May 13, 2026 (range: May 1 – June 6). Of 145 people with information available, 20 were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

What is Cyclosporiasis

It is caused by swallowing a microscopic, single-celled parasite called Cyclospora cayetanensis.

Cyclospora: The genus name comes from the Greek words for “circle” and “seed,” referring to the round, spherical shape of its microscopic spores (sporocysts).

cayetanensis: The species name directly honors the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru. This is the university where Peruvian scientist Dr. Ynés Ortega and her research team conducted the breakthrough epidemiological work to fully understand the organism

The question is how does it swallowed?

According to Cleveland the parasite is transmitted through the fecal-oral route, meaning it spreads when a person accidentally consumes food or water that has been contaminated with feces from an infected human

Other ways to get this are by contaminated fresh produce, contaminated water, and international travel.

Cyclosporiasis Vaccine in New Jersey

As of this writing there is no vaccine yet for humans. The only way to avoid this infection is by prevention.

Washing produce, practicing good hygiene, avoiding contaminated water are some of the ways to prevent this. Take note that it is caused by a parasite!

Developing a vaccine for Cyclospora is exceptionally difficult because scientists cannot reliably cultivate the parasite in a laboratory (in vitro) or replicate the infection successfully in lab animals. Without a way to grow and study the live organism in a controlled environment, transitioning from a computer model to a physical vaccine is a major scientific bottleneck. – National Library of Medicine

Cyclosporiasis symptoms and treatments in New Jersey

The most common symptom of this infection is frequent, severe, and often “explosive” watery diarrhea.

Other symptoms include severe stomach cramps, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, extreme bloating and gas, intense fatigue, low-grade fever, body aches, and more!

However, the best way to address this is by diagnosis and confirmation if you are really infected by a parasite. Some symptoms may not be due to Cyclosporiasis unless your doctor says so.

In otherwards, you need to be checked, diagnosed, and physically examined.

For your convenience you can go to any urgent care or walk in clinic nearby.

Assuming you have been infected by Cyclosporiasis without tests is not recommended.

Most likely these will be given to your kids prior to the level of infection:

• Prescription Medications

• Supportive Care

• Topical Prescriptions

However, you need to undergo any of the following or as advised by your doctor such as

Stool Samples test, Physical Exam & History, Travel History Review, Blood Tests, and so on.

This is the reason why you need a consultation and checkup first.