Florida cyclosporiasis outbreak reaches Broward County, health officials warn

Broward County has been added to Florida’s cyclosporiasis tally, with five local cases now counted in an outbreak that reached 50 people statewide by July 4. Health officials still have not identified the source, and fresh produce remains the leading suspect.

Florida Health CHARTS assigns cases to the county of residence, not necessarily where someone became ill or where the exposure happened, so the Broward count points to local residents who are part of the outbreak rather than a single neighborhood or restaurant. The state dashboard also listed 6 cases in Miami-Dade County, 9 in Lee County and 3 in Orange County, showing the illness is spread across several parts of Florida while investigators work the source.

Cyclosporiasis is not known to spread person-to-person. It spreads through food or water contaminated with feces, and it can cause weeks of watery diarrhea along with abdominal cramping, bloating, loss of appetite, nausea and fatigue. Past outbreaks have been linked to raspberries, bagged lettuce or salads, cilantro and basil, which is why produce remains under scrutiny now.

The CDC said the 2026 season began May 1. As of July 9, the agency had logged 843 U.S. cases across 31 states, with 86 hospitalizations and no deaths, and it said it will update the national count more often than in previous seasons because cases have climbed. The CDC also said the domestic cases it was tracking had onset between May 1 and June 6.

Florida has required cyclosporiasis to be reportable since July 21, 1996, and public health officials say potential cases and clusters need to be reported quickly so more infections can be prevented. For Broward families, the warning is practical: do not write off prolonged gastrointestinal symptoms as a routine stomach bug, especially after eating fresh produce or returning from travel. A physician cited in local coverage said the infection can be treated with Bactrim, but the larger concern remains finding the contaminated food before more people are exposed.