Episode Details

A parasite is crawling across 34 states, with thousands of confirmed cases across America. Cyclospora is causing that explosive diarrhea, aka the parasite flu, you’ve no doubt heard about in the news. In this episode, Dr. Chris Motley lays out the facts about what we know, his best advice for avoiding contamination and your full treatment options from both modern and ancient science.

Where the outbreak stands

Current as of publication, July 21, 2026. This story is moving quickly, so check the CDC and FDA pages below for the latest.

FDA and CDC are investigating a five-state outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at some Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.

FDA reports 1,644 illnesses and 94 hospitalizations in that outbreak, with no deaths. Illness onset dates run from May 13 to July 13, 2026.

FDA's traceback converged on a single supplier, Taylor Farms de Mexico. On July 17 the company voluntarily removed all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market and began a recall. A lettuce sample initially tested positive on July 18. FDA re-reviewed the result and declared it a false positive on July 19. FDA has stated this does not change its conclusion about the outbreak's link to that lettuce, and the recall stands.

In this episode you’ll learn:

Cyclospora is a protozoan parasite that can go dormant or activate depending on how strong your immune system is.

The gross part: People infected with Cyclospora shed oocysts in their feces which can contaminate food or water. 

Symptoms to look out for: watery diarrhea that won't go away (this is the big indicator), bone-deep fatigue you can't shake off, explosive bowel movements and loss of appetite.

Prevention:

Soak your produce thoroughly with an apple cider vinegar and baking soda wash, but most importantly...Cook your produce! Heat kills this parasite.

Keep an eye on restaurant reports as much as possible. It's not always possible to know where your favorite restaurant sources its food, but be on the lookout for information about where they get their food and how careful they are with their ingredients.

Steps to take if you are potentially infected:

Ask to be tested for cyclospora specifically, by name, because it won't be included in routine tests.

Treatment options: 

1) The antibiotic - it's called TMP - SMX (Trimethoprim - sulfamethoxazole). Brand names are Bactrim or Septra. Standard treatment is a 7 to 10 day course, with longer courses for folks with weakened immune systems.

2) Anti-parasitics - Ivermectin, Fenbendazole

3) Ancient Medicine - Huang Lian is an ancient Chinese herb that cools the gut. Check out the brand Golden Flower.

Natural anti-parasitics:

Wormwood or Black Walnut: https://shorturl.at/0i5c8

Mimosa Pudica: https://shorturl.at/EPIO0

Morinda: https://shorturl.at/aCP7n

You can also try a parasite cleanse. Head to Rogershood’s ParaFy cleanse here: https://rogershood.com/ref/1966/, and use code DRMOTLEY for 10% off. 

Chapters

00:00 The parasite you can't wash off

01:17 Cold open ends, show intro 01:30 Human waste, and why every case has a return address

01:45 What Cyclospora actually is: a single-celled protozoan

02:38 Why you'll never see it in the toilet 02:56 How it embeds in your small intestine and waits

03:36 The symptoms: watery diarrhea, crushing fatigue, no appetite

04:14 Why it comes back after you think it's gone

06:43 The family it belongs to: Cryptosporidium and Toxoplasma

07:4