Suffolk County Leads Long Island in Cyclospora Cases This Summer

Suffolk County has recorded 49 cases of cyclosporiasis so far this year — more than twice the 17 tallied in Nassau County — as public health officials across New York brace for the seasonal parasitic illness to keep climbing through August, federal authorities warned Tuesday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had confirmed 1,645 infections in 34 states, with roughly 5,100 additional pending cases still under analysis. There have been 141 hospitalizations and no deaths nationally. New York City had logged 403 cases as of July 10, according to the city's health department, already approaching the 414 recorded for all of 2025. Statewide, more than 517 cases have been reported.

For the first time, federal health officials said more than 400 cases — concentrated in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky — appeared to share a common source. Investigators had not yet pinpointed a specific food item, though Michigan health officials said early findings pointed to lettuce or salad greens. New York health officials said there was currently no evidence linking all state cases to a single multistate outbreak.

Suffolk County Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott said federal changes to a longstanding food-safety surveillance program last year had no impact on his department's outbreak response.

Cyclosporiasis is caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. It does not spread from person to person; people become infected by consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite. Past outbreaks have been linked to imported fresh produce such as raspberries and cilantro. Symptoms — which typically appear about a week after exposure — include prolonged watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue, and low-grade fever.

Dr. Erin Muckey, chief medical officer at Northwell Greenwich Village Hospital, said the illness is easily confused with a standard stomach bug but can persist far longer if left untreated. "If not treated, it can come and go for months," Muckey said. The infection responds well to antibiotics.

Health officials urged residents to wash all fresh produce thoroughly under running water and, when possible, to cook food to at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit to kill the parasite. Anyone who has experienced gastrointestinal symptoms that improved and then returned should ask a health care provider to test specifically for cyclosporiasis, Muckey advised.

Anyone with information relevant to local cases can contact the Suffolk County Department of Health.