🚨 OUTBREAK: 19 cases of cyclosporiasis confirmed in Erie Co.
Health Department Issues Urgent Advisory
SANDUSKY — If you’ve been feeling a bit “off” lately—and by “off,” we mean running to the bathroom with painful, explosive stomach issues—you are not alone.
The Erie County Health Department has officially launched an active investigation following a sudden surge of 19 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis right here in Erie County.
With the summer months marking peak season for this nasty little bug, and a wider surge actively hitting Northern Ohio and the Midwest, health officials are sounding the alarm for residents, local healthcare providers, and especially commercial kitchens.
Here is what you need to know to protect yourself, your family, and your customers.
🦠 What is Cyclospora (and How Do You Get It)?
Cyclosporiasis is a prolonged, painful gastrointestinal illness caused by a microscopic parasite called Cyclospora cayetanensis.
The Transmission: You get it by consuming fresh produce or water contaminated with microscopic amounts of human feces.
The Good News: You cannot catch it directly from another person. The parasite requires 1 to 2 weeks in the environment outside the body before it becomes infectious, so brief interactions with an infected person won’t spread it.
The Culprits: No single food source has been identified yet, but past outbreaks have been heavily tied to raw, imported fresh produce like pre-washed bagged salads, cilantro, basil, green onions, raspberries, and snow peas.
⚠️ What to Look For: Symptoms usually hit about a week after eating contaminated food. If left untreated, they can drag on for weeks or even months, frequently disappearing only to return in miserable waves.
The Tell-Tale Symptoms:
Watery, frequent, or explosive diarrhea (the most common symptom)
Severe abdominal cramps and bloating
Prolonged fatigue and body aches
Loss of appetite and subsequent weight loss
Nausea and low-grade fever
🥗 Directives for Erie County Restaurants & Food Vendors
Because standard chemical sanitizers do not easily destroy this resilient, “sticky” parasite, the Board of Health is advising all commercial kitchens to immediately escalate their food handling protocols:
Ditch the Bags, Buy Whole: During this investigation, kitchens are strongly encouraged to buy whole heads of lettuce instead of pre-washed, pre-cut bagged salad mixes. Discard the outer 2 to 3 layers of leaves completely, and wash the inner leaves thoroughly under cold running water.
Use Friction: Wash all herbs (like cilantro and basil) and green onions under running water. For firm produce like melons and cucumbers, scrub the exterior vigorously with a clean produce brush under running water before cutting.
Separate and Clean: Wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Always thoroughly wash cutting boards and knives after handling unwashed fruits and vegetables before moving on to clean food.
“Cook When You Can”: Whenever practical, cooking vegetables and herbs is the safest route because heat completely neutralizes the parasite.
Strict Sick Leave: Any food service employee exhibiting diarrheal symptoms must be excluded from work. They cannot return until their diarrhea has completely stopped and they have started an effective antibiotic regimen.
🚫 Community Guidance: What Not to Do
To keep this outbreak from spreading to our local waters and neighborhood kitchens, the Health Department has issued a strict list of “don’ts”:
DO NOT swim if you are sick: If you have diarrhea, stay out of public pools, hot tubs, water parks, lakes, or splash pads. Fecal contamination in recreational waters can easily spread the parasite to hundreds of other swimmers.
DO NOT prep food for others: Avoid preparing meals for family, friends, or coworkers until you are completely recovered.
DO NOT assume a routine test will catch it: If you have persistent diarrhea, see your doctor and explicitly ask them to test for Cyclospora.
🩺 Important Note for Local Healthcare Providers
The Erie County Health Department is reminding local medical facilities that there is no in-house testing for Cyclospora in Erie County.
Furthermore, Cyclospora is not detected by routine Ova and Parasite (O&P) examinations.
If a patient presents with persistent, watery diarrhea, providers should order a full gastrointestinal (GI) pathogen panel. Testing is currently in high demand and specimens must be sent to contracted outside laboratories (such as Quest or LabCorp).
Providers are also encouraged to test for other GI illnesses, as the county is seeing a concurrent rise in cases of salmonella, campylobacter, and norovirus. Because treatments differ, misdiagnosing these illnesses can actually worsen symptoms.
Cyclosporiasis is a legally reportable disease in Ohio. All positive findings must be reported immediately to the Health Department so epidemiologists can conduct interviews and trace the source.
📞 Need to Contact the Health Department?
For Medical, Testing, & Symptom Questions: Contact ECHD Chief of Epidemiology, Taylor Kula, at 419-626-5623, Ext. 5103 (or via email at tkula@echdohio.org).
For Commercial Food Safety & Restaurant Inquiries: Contact ECHD Environmental Health Director, Mark Janowich, at 419-626-5623, Ext. 5108.