Harris County cyclospora cases rise, shoppers urged to watch for symptoms

Harris County's cyclospora count reached 34 by July 21, and the illness can leave people with watery diarrhea, cramps and fatigue for days to weeks. The main defense for households is simple: wash all fruits and vegetables, including produce labeled pre-washed, and call a doctor if diarrhea lasts more than a few days. A separate federal outbreak tied to shredded iceberg lettuce distributed in Texas shows how fast contaminated produce can move through the region.

What cyclospora is and how it spreads

Cyclospora is an intestinal illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. People get sick by consuming food or water contaminated with infected stool, and it is not typically spread directly from person to person. That makes produce handling and water safety especially important in a county where families shop at grocery chains, farmers markets, food courts and restaurants every day.

Local health agencies were already tracking the problem early in July. Harris County Public Health posted a July 7 item confirming the number of Cyclospora cases in the county, and the Houston Health Department confirmed 16 cases in the City of Houston on July 8. On July 9, city and county health departments were reporting 34 cases of cyclosporiasis.

Harris County outside the City of Houston recorded 39 total Cyclospora infections in all of 2025 and 34 in all of 2024.

Symptoms that should get your attention

Cyclospora does not always look like a classic food poisoning case right away. Symptoms can include prolonged watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, bloating, nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, increased gas and vomiting. Illness can last days to weeks, and it may improve and then return if it is not treated.

People often assume they have a short stomach bug and wait it out. If watery diarrhea keeps going for more than a few days, it is time to contact a healthcare provider, especially if dehydration is a concern or if you are immunocompromised. The same advice matters if symptoms keep cycling back after seeming to get better.

The warning sign is diarrhea that does not resolve, especially when it comes with stomach cramps, fatigue or weight loss. Those symptoms can interrupt work, school and caregiving, and they should not be brushed off as a routine upset stomach if they linger.

What to do with produce at home right now

The immediate step is to wash all fruits and vegetables, even produce labeled pre-washed. That advice is especially important for raw items that will be eaten without cooking, because cyclospora is linked to contaminated food and water, not to normal contact between people in a household.

The other practical move is to be cautious with how food is handled and stored once it gets home. Follow safe food-handling practices, keep raw produce from sitting around unrefrigerated, and be extra careful with anything that will be eaten raw rather than cooked.

A separate federal investigation into a multi-state cyclospora outbreak implicated shredded iceberg lettuce distributed in Texas. That is the kind of product that can end up in salads, sandwiches and restaurant meals before a household realizes there is a problem.

If you bought shredded iceberg lettuce and later develop the symptom pattern associated with cyclospora, do not assume it is a routine bug. Symptoms can linger for days to weeks and may return if untreated, so the timing of the illness matters as much as the severity on day one.

When to call a doctor

Seek medical attention if diarrhea lasts more than a few days, especially if dehydration is a concern. That advice also applies sooner if you are immunocompromised, because prolonged illness can hit harder and last longer.

Harris County households should treat the combination of watery diarrhea, stomach cramps and fatigue as a reason to pay close attention to the calendar. If symptoms are still present after a few days, or if they disappear and then come back, a healthcare provider should hear about it.