Hopewell Township has not experienced any cyclosporiasis cases so far as New Jersey reports 46 cases statewide.
Cyclosporiasis cases, which is a gastrointestinal illness linked to contaminated fresh produce or water, have not been reported in the township as of July 17, according to Hopewell Township.
A microscopic parasite called cyclospora causes the gastrointestinal illness when people consume food, most often fresh produce, or water which has been contaminated by the parasite.
However, the illness is not typically spread from person to person.
The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) reassured residents statewide in mid-July that there has not been an out of the norm increase in cyclosporiasis cases or any outbreaks in New Jersey faced by other states such as Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.
The state has recorded 46 cyclosporiasis cases from May 1 and July 11.
NJDOH says the 46 cases fall within the typical range of 30 to 50 cases the state sees each year during the cyclosporiasis season which occurs from May 1 to Aug. 31.
According to the NJDOH, the common symptoms of cyclosporiasis include frequent, watery diarrhea (sometimes explosive); loss of appetite and weight loss; bloating and stomach cramps; nausea (vomiting is less common); low-grade fever; and fatigue.
People who have the illness will typically start to experience symptoms about a week after they are exposed.
The state agency noted the symptoms can start as early as two days or as late as two weeks or more after exposure.
State officials have said there is no evidence of New Jersey grown produce being connected to any of the outbreaks.
“The New Jersey Department of Agriculture emphasizes that no produce coming from New Jersey farms has been linked to the cyclosporiasis outbreak,” said Ed Wengryn, who is the New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture.
“To date, no New Jersey-grown produce has been identified as a source of cyclosporiasis cases. Our Jersey Fresh farmers meet the high-quality standards imposed not only through compliance with the federal Food Safety Modernization Act but also with the quality-grading standards of the Jersey Fresh program.”
Since May 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received reports of 1,645 confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis.
There are 5,100 cases requiring further analysis to confirm they are domestic cases of the illness.
The national agency reports that the confirmed cases are significant increase from the 249 cases reported nationally at this time back in 2025.
