New Details Emerge On Maryland's Cyclosporiasis Cases

MARYLAND — As health officials monitor a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak, authorities in Maryland say the state has documented dozens of cases since the start of 2026.

Amanda Hils, an assistant director with the Maryland Department of Health, told Patch that 32 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis were reported since the start of the year.

Of the 32 cases, 28 occurred between May 1 and July 7.

While no details about the patients or their conditions were released, Hils said there was no common link in any of the incidents.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded a total of 145 cyclosporiasis cases across 17 states, including in neighboring Virginia, where as many as 10 cases were confirmed.

Latest figures from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not include the Maryland cases. CDC's tally for the 2026 outbreak includes reports as of June 16.

The majority of the cases reviewed by the CDC included women, with impacted individuals aged between 5 and 86. No cyclosporiasis-related deaths have been confirmed.

Hils said MDH saw a total of 128 cases and 204 confirmed cases in 2025 and 2024, respectively.

What Is Cyclosporiasis?

Cyclosporiasis is unlike a typical case of food poisoning, according to health officials. If left untreated, the illness could persist for months if not longer.

Residents are urged to seek medical help if they encounter the following symptoms: watery diarrhea, appetite loss, weight loss, cramping, bloating, flu-like symptoms, vomiting, and body aches, among others.

Hils told Patch that the most common symptom individuals experience is watery diarrhea, which has been described as "explosive."

Symptoms can appear up to 14 days after being contracted, but in some cases, no symptoms emerge.

Cyclosporiasis can be contracted by consuming contaminated foods or water. It cannot be spread person to person as the parasite is passed through bowel movement and can take days or weeks before becoming infectious.

CDC officials say there is no single strain of cyclosporiasis linking all 145 documented cases. Efforts to identify a source for the outbreak are ongoing.