ADH reports cyclospora cases in Craighead County

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT) - The number of cyclosporiasis cases in Arkansas continue to inch up.

As of Wednesday, Aug. 26, the Arkansas Department of Health reports 288 lab-confirmed cases of the disease so far this year. That’s one more case since Aug. 18.

The following counties in Northeast Arkansas are reporting less than 10 cases each:

• Baxter
• Cleburne
• Craighead
• Fulton
• Greene
• Mississippi
• White
• Woodruff

Where cases are concentrated

Many of the cases are clustered in the northwest part of the state.

Benton County reports 164 lab-confirmed cases, Boone County reports 27 cases, Washington County has 24 cases and Carroll County has 11. Pulaski County is now reporting 10 cases of the illness.

Tied to multistate outbreak

While cyclospora cases tend to rise in the spring and summer months, the ADH said the number of cases reported in 2026 is higher than in previous years.

“After an investigation, it was determined that the increase in cases in Arkansas is, in part, associated with the ongoing multistate outbreak,” the ADH said.

Additional information regarding the FDA investigation is available through the FDA Investigation of 9-State Outbreak of Cyclospora Illnesses: Iceberg Lettuce (July 2026).

Cyclospora spreads when people eat food or drink water that has been contaminated with feces. Symptoms can take one to two weeks to appear after exposure and include watery diarrhea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements, the ADH said.

How to reduce your risk

The ADH urges people to take the following steps to prevent a cyclospora infection:

• Avoid consuming food or water that may be contaminated with feces
• Follow food safety handling recommendations for safe preparation and storage
• Wash hands with soap and water before and after handling or preparing raw fruits and vegetables
• Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking
• Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables before preparing and eating
• Refrigerate cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables within two hours

For more information, visit the ADH website or the CDC Cyclosporiasis Outbreaks and Investigations page.

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