Published July 14, 2026 at 11:52 AM EDT

A parasite is making national headlines after sickening nearly 2,000 people in at least 30 states. Maryland has seen cases of its own, but to date, nothing out of the ordinary.

Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by parasites living in contaminated food or water.

The Maryland Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health agencies are currently investigating what could be the source of the parasite.

“Since the beginning of 2026, there have been 32 confirmed cyclosporiasis cases reported in Maryland, with 28 of those occurring from May 1, 2026 to July 7, 2026,” said Amanda Hils, a spokeswoman for MDH. “Investigations into cyclosporiasis cases are conducted by local health departments that communicate reported cases and findings to the Maryland Department of Health. Investigations are ongoing and, to date, Maryland’s health departments have not identified a common link for cases reported in the May 1, 2026 to July 7, 2026 timeframe, nor for cases reported in 2026 overall.”

It’s not uncommon for a couple thousand cases to pop up in the United States each year.

However, this summer, there’s been a significant uptick.

Michigan reported more than 2,600 cases statewide and Illinois recently reported 215 cases. Texas and New York are also seeing large outbreaks.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that federal and state health officials are looking into whether Taco Bell restaurants are a possible source for the dissemination of produce that may have been contaminated.

The disease is hard to trace because there is a delay between the consumption of the parasite and symptoms.

Usually symptoms appear 1 to 14 days after exposure.

The most common symptom is explosive, watery diarrhea one to fourteen days after exposure.

Other symptoms include weight loss, cramps and vomiting.

Officials say to thoroughly wash produce to avoid contamination.