What has made the cyclospora behind the US outbreak so challenging to trace?

Cyclospora is the parasite responsible for thousands of suspected foodborne illness cases across the US. Tracing this specific pathogen is exceptionally challenging for health officials due to two primary factors. First, the parasite possesses a long incubation period, which complicates the identification of the source. Second, samples of Cyclospora cannot be cultured in laboratory settings. These combined biological characteristics make it difficult to pinpoint the origin of the outbreaks and manage the public health risk.