The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) said Thursday the state has 11 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasite that causes intestinal illness and has been spreading around the country.
Nine of Alabama’s cases are in the northern district, one in the northeastern district and one in the southwestern district, said Ryan Easterling, director of communications for ADPH, on Thursday. There have been no hospitalizations or deaths, he said.
“One or two of those are linked to outbreaks in other states that we know about,” said Dr. Scott Harris, Alabama’s State Health Officer, on Thursday during a meeting of the State Committee on Public Health. “The others, we’re not sure about how they’re linked or if they’re linked. There may be other cases as well.”
Cyclosporiasis is caused by the parasite cyclospora. Symptoms include watery or “explosive” diarrhea, nausea and stomach cramps. It’s often contracted by eating or drinking something contaminated with the parasite, which lives in feces.
The illness is not contagious, and symptoms can develop within about 10 days and last for a few days to up to a month without antibiotic treatment, according to the CDC.
Harris said ADPH staff are evaluating cases and engaging in testing.
“What we know just from historical outbreaks is that it’s associated with leafy greens,” Harris said. “Although they haven’t identified a single producer, there’s a lot of speculation in the press about certain fast food restaurants, but that has not been demonstrated conclusively to this point.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have identified 1,645 cases in 34 cases as of July 13, not including Alabama. The CDC says that is likely a severe undercount because those with symptoms are not always tested for Cyclospora nor seek treatment.
The outbreak is concentrated in four states: Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky. According to the CDC, there were 141 hospitalizations and no deaths as of July 13.
Harris said that cases of cyclosporiasis are common every year, but an outbreak is not. According to ADPH data, there were 21 reported cases in 2025, 30 in 2024 and 139 in 2023 in the state.
“I know even from my time as a real doctor, it was pretty common in HIV populations and people that had advanced immunodeficiency, so it’s certainly well known to us. Cyclospora right now, though, has erupted and seems to be centered around Michigan and Ohio,” he said.
While there is no confirmed origin of the outbreak, Harris recommended Alabamians buy produce from smaller retailers to reduce risk. He also said buyers should discard the outer leaves of heads of lettuce and thoroughly wash inner leaves.
“Probably, you’re better off buying fresh products from small local producers, at least until we get a better idea of the source. We’re continuing to monitor it so that we can keep Alabama safe,” he said.
