NORTH CAROLINA — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has started a Cyclosporiasis outbreak dashboard that highlights data such as a county-by-county breakdown, cases per week and age groups most affected.
Since July 21, 157 new Cyclosporiasis cases have been reported in North Carolina with eight hospitalizations. The past week’s numbers bring the overall number of reported cases to 718 and 24 hospitalizations since May.
Since May, Cyclosporiasis case counts have over doubled that total North Carolina cases seen in 2025 and 2024, with almost five times as many cases than reported in 2023.
Wake County has seen the largest outbreak thus far with 432 cases — 126 more cases than all of North Carolina in 2025. Durham County has the second highest rate of reported cases hitting 47 documented instances of Cyclosporiasis.
Pender and Brunswick counties have two cases each. New Hanover county has reported seven.
Individuals aged 19 to 54 make up for the majority of the outbreak at 447 cases. The second largest impacted population are those aged 55 and up with 264 cases. Those 18 and under only account for seven Cyclosporiasis cases statewide.
North Carolina has yet to identify a contaminated source of produce responsible for the outbreak.
“While a source has not yet been identified, current data from patient interviews indicate that parsley and cilantro are commonly reported among cyclosporiasis cases,” NCDHHS said in a press release. “However, many cases did not report eating either of these foods before getting sick, suggesting there could be multiple sources of exposure.”
NCDHHS added that if a specific ingredient or product is recalled in relation to the Cyclosporiasis outbreak local health departments will work with establishments to ensure the product is no longer used until the threat is mitigated.
Iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms has been linked as the source of outbreaks in nine states. On July 17, Taylor Farms recalled all of its Iceberg lettuce sourced from Mexico. The brand has not been identified as a catalyst for North Carolina’s outbreak.
Individuals are encouraged to rinse and wash their fresh produce as it can remove some of the parasite, although NCDHHS does note that this does not guarantee complete removal. Cooking food at 165 degrees Fahrenheit can also help prevent infection.
“If using ingredients that have been more frequently reported by cyclospora cases in North Carolina, like parsley and cilantro, please consider removing, using locally grown produce, or cooking fully to avoid getting yourself or others sick,” NCDHHS said.
The NCDHHS dashboard will be updated each Tuesday with current case counts and information regarding Cyclosporiasis.
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