The continued surge of a parasitic illness that causes "explosive" diarrhea is baffling experts.
"Usually in the summer, we do see cases of cyclosporiasis. But this is just much bigger," Dr. Ralph Rivello tells Newsradio 1200 WOAI
The head of Emergency Medicine at University Health says that, unfortunately, there is no easy way to prevent an infection. Federal officials are suggesting that there may be a link to tainted vegetables. But he says simply washing them before you eat them does not help.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that, since May, at least 145 cases of cyclosporiasis had been reported nationwide. And some states are hit harder than others
The Texas Department of State Health Services is reporting 48 cases that match the CDC’s Outbreak Case Definition.
"These cases occurred on or after May 1, 2026 and did not report any foreign travel. Most of those are located in Public Health Regions 11 and 6/5S, with five hospitalizations reported and no deaths," spokesman Douglas Loveday says.
Those regions are in the Rio Grande Valley and around Houston.
A source for the Texas cases has not yet been identified, he says
Dr. Rivello says the biggest danger with these cases is dehydration. For most, that can be solved by drinking more water. But he warns that older people and those with health conditions need to be more vigilant and work with their doctors.