I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the national Cyclospora outbreak and whether New Yorkers should be worried.

First, New York is not part of the iceberg lettuce recall, and no NYC cases have been linked to the recalled lettuce. That said, Cyclospora cases are higher than usual in New York this summer. Many of these cases are part of small clusters around the city, often linked to single restaurants or events where multiple people got sick around the same time. While the CDC and FDA continue to work with the health department to investigate the outbreaks, it doesn’t appear that there’s a single common source.

So what does this mean for you?

🔹 For most New Yorkers, you can keep on eating your salads! Because we aren’t part of the lettuce recall, there’s no reason to treat your lettuce any differently than you would before.

🔹 That said, continue practicing good food safety by washing fresh produce well.

🔹 If you’re pregnant, immunocompromised, or older, you may want to be a bit more cautious with raw produce that’s been linked to Cyclospora outbreaks in the past, like lettuces, fresh herbs, raspberries, and blackberries. Cooking produce to an internal temperature of 158°F is also a safe option.

🔹 If you develop prolonged watery diarrhea, ask your healthcare provider about testing for Cyclospora, since it’s not always included on routine stool tests.

If you’d like a more in depth look at New York’s Cyclospora outbreak, check out my latest post. I break down what investigators know so far, why these cases appear to be different from the national outbreak, and what I’ll be watching as the investigation continues. yourlocalepidemiologist…