A Parasite Is Spreading Through Produce Right Now. Here’s How to Protect Yourself.

A stomach bug is working its way across the Midwest, and it’s not from a restaurant. According to NPR’s reporting on the cyclospora outbreak, Michigan has reported over 1,250 cases of cyclospora, with the CDC tracking infections across 17 states. The source hasn’t been identified yet, but investigators are working backward through the food supply.

Cyclospora is a parasite found in contaminated food or water. When it gets into your system, it causes prolonged, miserable diarrhea—often lasting weeks if untreated. It’s not the kind of thing you shake off in a day.

What This Has to Do With Your Grocery Routine

Cyclospora outbreaks have historically been linked to fresh produce—particularly leafy greens, herbs, and berries. While the current investigation is still ongoing, the timing matters: summer is peak produce season, which means most of us are eating more fresh fruits and vegetables than at any other point in the year. That’s a good thing. It just comes with a reminder to handle them carefully.

The good news is that the basic steps actually work.

Wash your hands before and after handling produce—20 seconds with soap. Rinse all fresh fruits and vegetables under running water before eating or cutting, even if you plan to peel them. A knife passing through an unwashed rind can drag surface contamination straight into the flesh. Use a clean cutting board, separate from the one you use for meat. And if you’re working with leafy greens or herbs, a salad spinner with a good rinse goes a long way.

One thing that won’t help: produce washes or soap. The FDA doesn’t recommend them—plain running water is what the evidence supports.

If You or Someone You Know Gets Sick

Cyclospora isn’t always obvious right away. Symptoms—watery diarrhea, cramping, fatigue, loss of appetite—can show up anywhere from one to two weeks after exposure and tend to drag on longer than a typical stomach bug. If you’ve been dealing with gut issues that won’t quit, it’s worth calling your doctor. The infection is treatable with antibiotics, but you need a diagnosis first.

For most healthy adults, the risk of serious illness is low. But it’s not nothing, and the current outbreak is large enough to pay attention to.

You don’t need to stop eating salads. Fresh produce is still one of the best things you can put on your plate. Just wash it well, keep your surfaces clean, and if your stomach is telling you something’s off, don’t brush it aside.