With cyclosporiasis cases on the rise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated this week that it has “received reports of 1,645 confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis and is aware of more than 5,100 cases that require further analysis to confirm the illness as domestically acquired cyclosporiasis.” The agency stated in a Health Alert Network advisory that just 249 cases were reported nationally by this same time last year.
Of the 1,645 confirmed cases in 2026, 141 (9%) of the patients were hospitalized, but none have died, according to CDC, which noted it is working with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state and local health departments to “investigate multistate outbreaks of Cyclospora infections and to identify the sources of illness. Because cyclosporiasis is often underdiagnosed and underreported, the true number of illnesses is likely higher than what has been reported to CDC.”
With the true spread and scope of the outbreak still in question, many perioperative leaders will look to take precautions to prevent the spread of the Cyclospora parasite that can lead to intestinal infection among themselves, their staff and their patients. CDC provides these recommendations for disinfecting Cyclospora in healthcare settings:
- “Given the typical lifecycle of Cyclospora, person-to-person transmission is unlikely, even within healthcare settings. If an affected patient is continent of stool, the level of environmental contamination is probably small.”
- “Cyclospora is unlikely to be killed or inactivated by routine chemical disinfection. No EPA-registered disinfectant products have been demonstrated to be effective against Cyclospora. When affected patients are incontinent or diapered, the risk of contamination of healthcare surfaces might be higher. Facilities should clean surfaces initially with a detergent to remove any visible soil and scrub the surfaces thoroughly. After this cleaning, an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant should be used. Immediately after cleaning, healthcare personnel (HCP) should remove gloves used during cleaning and clean their hands.”
- “HCP should always use Standard Precautions, including wearing gloves when there might be direct contact with feces. A gown, facemask, and eye protection, or face shield should be used if splashing might occur. Hand hygiene should be performed before and after every patient contact. If hands are visibly soiled, HCP should wash them with soap and water, scrubbing vigorously for 15-20 seconds. If hands are not visibly soiled, alcohol-based hand sanitizer may be used. For patients with gastroenteritis who are diapered or incontinent of stool, HCP should use Contact Precautions when providing direct patient care in healthcare settings.”
