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Foods director warns of large Cyclospora outbreak; Porter County records two probable cases
Summary
Carrie Patson, the county foods director, briefed the board on an extensive 2026 Cyclospora outbreak affecting dozens of states and said Porter County has two possible local cases—one travel-associated and one with multiple in-state exposures. Staff described investigation, testing challenges and prevention advice.
Carrie Patson, the department's foods director, told the board that national surveillance has identified a large 2026 Cyclospora outbreak and said the CDC had reported cases across 45 states with a major cluster in the Midwest. "It is the largest outbreak of this parasite in The United in The United States," Patson said, and staff emphasized that tracking and case confirmation are hampered by long onset times and supply-chain complexities.
Patson said Porter County has two cases under investigation: one travel-associated and one involving a driver who ate at many restaurants across the state, making it difficult to pinpoint the exposure. Staff described the local investigation process (a 30' to 45' minute interview to reconstruct two weeks of exposures) and said the county reports cases to the state, which then relays them to the CDC. Investigators noted testing limitations and treatment differences: "It's p c it's well, it's I mean, we can run the PCR. It's a GI profile PCR, but it's $23,000 test," one staff member said during the briefing.
Board members were advised that prevention hinges on reducing contamination at the production level, handwashing and cooking when feasible; staff also noted that imported produce from subtropical regions is a likely source and that surveillance gaps contributed to the outbreak's rapid spread.
