07/12/2026
🦠 Catawba County Health Officials Issue Guidance As Parasite Cases Triple Statewide
Saturday, July 11, 2026 — 3:30 PM EDT
CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — Catawba County Public Health has issued its own prevention guidance on cyclosporiasis, the parasitic intestinal illness now spreading rapidly across North Carolina, after state health officials reported cases have roughly tripled in a matter of days.
The NC Department of Health and Human Services said at least 205 cases have been reported statewide since May 1, as of July 9. When CCNW first reported on the illness, less than a week ago, the state count stood at 69. NCDHHS says it still has not identified a common source.
Catawba County Public Health shared the state’s advisory and followed with a detailed post of its own Saturday morning, laying out specific steps residents can take.
“North Carolina is seeing an increase of cyclosporiasis,” NCDHHS said in the advisory, urging residents to handle and clean fresh produce properly, including thorough hand washing before and after preparing it.
The county’s guidance goes further. Health officials there say cooking food to 158 degrees Fahrenheit, or 70 degrees Celsius, kills the Cyclospora parasite. They advise washing all fresh produce under clean running water even if you plan to peel it, scrubbing firm fruits and vegetables such as melons and cucumbers with a clean produce brush, and washing and sanitizing cutting boards, utensils and surfaces used to prepare, serve or store fresh produce.
Catawba County Public Health also noted the illness typically shows up about a week after exposure, though the window can range from two days to two weeks or longer. The parasite infects the small intestine and usually causes frequent, watery and explosive diarrhea.
The national picture has expanded sharply as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a July 10 update that it has confirmed 843 domestic cases across 31 states since May 1 — up from 145 cases in 17 states in its previous count — and that it is aware of more than 1,500 additional cases still requiring analysis. At least 86 people have been hospitalized nationally. No deaths have been reported.
Wake County remains the center of the outbreak in North Carolina, accounting for 85 of the state’s first 110 cases. But confirmed cases have now been reported in the western part of the state, including Buncombe, Henderson, McDowell and Rutherford counties.
NCDHHS has not released a case count for Catawba, Burke, Caldwell, Alexander, Iredell or Lincoln counties, and it is not publicly known whether any cases have been confirmed in the CCNW coverage area. McDowell County, where two cases have been confirmed, borders Burke County.
Cyclospora spreads through food or water contaminated with f***s, and past North Carolina outbreaks have been traced to fresh produce — imported parsley and a shrimp salad in two FDA investigations. Person-to-person spread is uncommon.
Cyclosporiasis requires a specific stool test to diagnose, so health officials urge anyone with severe or prolonged diarrhea to contact a health care provider. The illness is treatable with antibiotics, though many people recover on their own.
Investigations by state, local and federal agencies remain ongoing, and case counts are expected to change.
Save this post to keep the county’s produce-washing and safe-cooking guidance handy through peak summer produce season.
