Illinois has confirmed 995 confirmed and probable cases of the diarrhea-causing illness cyclosporiasis, the state’s public health department confirmed Tuesday.Cyclosporiasis is not considered deadly and is more of an inconvenience that in rare cases could have complications, said Dr. Emily Landon, an infectious diseases specialist at University of Chicago Medicine. In Illinois, 58 people have been hospitalized, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Most of the people in Illinois who have contracted the illness had traveled recently — 193 people internationally and 631 domestically. It’s unclear if the other 171 traveled.Higher numbers of cyclosporiasis are typically reported in the summer, but this year has seen an especially high number, health officials said.The increase in Illinois is part of a larger number of cases in several states. In Michigan, which has been at the center of an outbreak nationally, two people with significant health conditions died, health officials announced on Aug. 3, saying that cyclosporiasis and dehydration contributed to the deaths. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is reporting 12,218 cases as of Wednesday. Across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports just 1,947 cases in nine states, which is far less than Michigan alone. Those cases were linked to eating at Taco Bell, according to the CDC and the FDA. Here's what you need to know about cyclosporiasis in Illinois.What is cyclosporiasis?Pronounced sigh-klo-spore-EYE-uh-sis, cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite cyclospora. Infection often comes after eating fresh fruits and vegetables and can lead to watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, gas and nausea.The heat-loving parasite infects the bowels and spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to feces-contaminated irrigation water. What is causing cyclosporiasis in Illinois?No definitive source has been identified for the Illinois cases, but public health officials have been investigating a link to iceberg lettuce. Taylor Fresh Foods, a California-based farm and food company, on July 17 voluntarily recalled iceberg salad and shredded lettuce products distributed in 27 states, including Illinois. In other states, Marketside-brand iceberg products sold at select Walmart stores were also recalled. The FDA on July 19 said that initial testing for cyclospora in a sample of lettuce from Taylor Farms was a false positive. The products in question from Taylor Farms were grown in the Mexican state of Guanajuato. The FDA encourages the public to avoid eating any products recalled by Taylor Farms, and the CDC recommends that anyone who purchased the recalled lettuce should throw it out.The voluntary recall came after the CDC identified shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia as a source of widespread outbreaks in those states. Taco Bell removed the affected lettuce from its supply chain across the country and planned to replace it in select states, the company previously said. Taylor Farms supplied lettuce to Taco Bell, The New York Times reported.The CDC is also investigating other cases of cyclosporiasis that are not connected to the national outbreak.Past outbreaks have been linked to imported fresh produce, like bagged salad kits and berries, according to IDPH. Cyclosporiasis is not transmitted from person to person, Landon said. Even if a person becomes sick, people don’t usually contaminate objects in their house enough to spread it to someone else.How long does it take to recover?People should talk to their doctor about getting tested if they have symptoms, so health officials can continue to track the outbreak, said Gwen Biggerstaff, the CDC’s deputy director of foodborne, waterborne and environmental diseases.Most people who contract the illness recover in one to two weeks, according to the CDC. Many can recover with rest and plenty of fluids, but some may need antibiotics.People can experience bloating, gas and dehydration but rarely have more complications.“The problem with this disease is it can be kind of persistent,” Landon said. “And you can feel pretty sick, and then you can be starting to get better, and then the diarrhea can come back again.” Should I stop eating fresh fruits and vegetables? If a person is immunocompromised or has an underlying medical condition, they should take more precautions, Landon said. That’s especially true, for example, for those undergoing surgery soon or cancer treatments.Everyone can follow typical food safety guidelines like washing hands and thoroughly washing and scrubbing fresh produce. Illinois health officials also suggest:Incorporating more fruits and vegetables with peels or outer layersEating canned fruits and vegetablesKeeping produce separate from raw meat and seafoodRefrigerating cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables within two hoursRefrigerating perishable produce.Cooking vegetables to at least 158 degrees Fahrenheit Is it safer to buy produce from my local Illinois farmers market? Fruits and vegetables coming from a smaller, local producer are likely to have less of a risk for contamination than food from massive manufacturers, Landon said. That’s especially true if an outbreak is centered on a certain product, but officials this time around don’t know if that’s the case.So you shouldn’t assume there’s zero risk in buying from a local vendor because any farm can become contaminated, especially because of the current weather, Landon said.How is Illinois tracking the cases?The Illinois Department of Public Health is working with local health officials to collect data on the cases. They are also working with the CDC to investigate a potential source of the illness.The Chicago Department of Public Health has not identified the source of local cases. One individual had eaten at Taco Bell but had also traveled to one of the states that is part of the larger outbreak. The department is seeing an increase in cases among Latinos who had not recently traveled internationally.The number of cases locally and across the country could be higher, Landon said. That’s because testing for cyclosporiasis is expensive, and some insurance may not cover it. But as cases of cyclosporiasis are more in the news, doctors will likely start testing more patients or prescribe antibiotics to treat it if someone has symptoms.If a person is confirmed to have cyclosporiasis, Landon said it’s important to cooperate with the local health department to detail everything they ate so officials can pinpoint the outbreak source.Are federal cuts affecting the outbreak? Last summer, the federal government scaled back a program known as the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network that monitored foodborne illnesses, NBC News previously reported. As part of the changes, reporting for cyclospora parasites became optional in 2025, according to the program’s website. The government had previously collected that data since 1997.The scaled-back federal program worked with the FDA to proactively test certain foods to check if recalls were necessary, Landon said.It’s hard to assess how much changes on the federal level are playing a role in the current outbreaks, Landon said. But it’s something health officials across the country should consider.“It’s a combination of the nature of the illness, the fact that it’s happening at a time when there’s other sporadic cases, and then the lack of infrastructure and resources available for testing does matter,” Landon said, summing up the factors driving the outbreak. ...read more read less