By Abby Knox, Managing Editor 

As the number of Cyclospora cases rises along with other foodborne illnesses like E. Coli, people find themselves conflicted between eating healthy and risking getting these illnesses.  

According to the CDC as of Aug. 25, 2026, Ohio is the state with the second most cases of Cyclosporas in the U.S, with anywhere from 1,000-3,999 cases. 

Possible symptoms included in these illnesses are diarrhea, nausea and vomiting just to name a few. Cyclospora has been all over the news known as the “explosive diarrhea” illness, with the symptoms lasting weeks to months before resolving.  

Items like lettuce, peppers and frozen blueberries have all been linked to food-borne illness in the last two months.  

People are quick to blame the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the increase in foodborne illnesses that are affecting everyone. However, according to the FDA, large budget cuts totaling $271 million are to blame for staffing issues, irregular inspections and other issues the FDA is facing.  

Professor Tehrani, a biology professor at Xavier University who has a background in food science, believes that the FDA cannot be blamed for rise in food-borne illnesses. “You can’t blame the FDA because it’s a regulatory agency, and their job is to follow the law set out by Congress. They don’t have any liability. They don’t even have any type of responsibility even,” Tehrani said.   

People not knowledgeable on this topic are easily led to accuse the FDA of the increase in illnesses caused by food, but that is not true.  

“Their limitations are set by Congress. They answer to Congress. Their budgets are set by Congress,” Tehrani said. The FDA must follow the rules set by those above. 

The rise in cases could be speculated to be the private companies running the picking, processing and transportation of the food.  

The FDA, as a regulatory agency, has a job of preventing the spread of these illnesses, but it is the private corporations that have the large task of making sure they are processing food in a sanitary way.  

As for the Xavier community, many students, especially first-years, rely on the Hoff Dining Commons for the majority of their meals. FDA officials urge food handlers like those who work in the dining hall to practice proper hygiene when serving food. 

Another factor that might be liable for the increase in cases of food-borne illnesses in Ohio is the dense population. According to World Atlas, Ohio is the 10^th most densely populated state in the country as of 2023. Therefore, this might be one factor to explain the high number of Cyclospora. 

The fact is that foodborne illnesses will always be around. There are many factors that lead to the increase in cases of food-borne illness. It is common for these types of illnesses to increase in the warmer months as bacteria grows best in warm environments. Therefore, it is important to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly and in order to prevent Cyclospora, cook the food to at least 158° F.