Exclusive | NYC cases of explosive diarrhea parasite soar to 273 3 times as many as previously reported for the whole state
New York City has had 273 confirmed cases of the notorious “explosive diarrhea” parasite since May 1, The Post has exclusively learned.According to an NYC Health Department spokesperson, the city has seen an increase in cases of cyclosporiasis compared to previous years, with 301 people sickened so far for the entirety of 2026.The number includes people who both have and have not recently traveled internationally.The department is still investigating where and how the infected people may have been exposed, working in conjunction with the CDC, the FDA and other health departments, the spokesperson added.The state of New York has also recorded an additional 125 cases since May 1, according to a state health department spokesperson.Just three weeks ago, the CDC reported fewer than 80 cases statewide over that same period.Cyclosporiasis is caused by infection with the cyclospora parasite.
Symptoms include severe cramping, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and watery, explosive diarrhea.While some who are infected never exhibit symptoms, others need to be hospitalized.This infection is usually contracted during travel outside the United States, as a result of consuming food or water that’s been contaminated with feces.
It is more common in tropical areas.What’s been troubling about the recent outbreaks is that many of the infected people reported that they hadn’t traveled outside of the country, meaning they likely got sick from contaminated food here in the US.What’s more, health officials have not yet been able to identify any particular source or sources of the parasite in US food — as opposed to infections in 2019 that were tied to cilantro imported from Mexico, or a 2018 outbreak linked to tainted McDonald’s salads.Determining whether a patient indeed has cyclosporiasis can be difficult.It requires special lab tests looking specifically for cyclospora — which are not part of a standard stool test.
It’s another reason it’s possible many cases are g...