Cyclospora: Then and Now

Cyclospora cases continue to climb in the U.S. but this isn’t the first time we’ve had a multi-state outbreak linked to produce. Back in 1996, there was a major cyclospora outbreak across several states due to imported raspberries. It begs the question, have we learned anything from the past? Or are we repeating history all over again? This week hosts Chris Dall and Dr. Michael Osterholm focus on the cyclosporiasis outbreak, from the latest numbers, to how state and federal officials, as well as the media, have handled it all. They’ll break down the latest epidemiologic data and discuss how this response compares to a multi-state outbreak in 1996. Dr. Osterholm also talks about the latest on Ebola in the DRC, the measles outbreaks across the U.S. and a potential uptick in COVID-19 cases. 
 

Links:
An Outbreak in 1996 of Cyclosporiasis Associated with Imported Raspberries (The New England Journal of Medicine)

When People Got Sick: Cyclospora Outbreak, July 2026 (CDC)

The Cyclospora outbreak was, and still is, a communications failure (CIDRAP)
 

Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:

Voices for Vaccines

Families Fighting Flu

Vaccinate Your Family

Shot@Life

Medical Reserve Corps

Learn more about the Vaccine Integrity Project

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Music:

"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License