CDC and FDA Staffing Cuts Linked to Surge in Cyclospora Outbreaks
More than 11,000 cases of cyclospora infection have been reported across 41 states since May, prompting experts to cite reduced federal food-safety resources as a contributing factor.
The United States has recorded over 11,000 cases of cyclospora, a parasite that causes prolonged diarrhea, in 41 states since May. Health officials attribute the largest outbreak this season to contaminated iceberg lettuce imported from Mexico and distributed nationwide by a major supplier.
Susan Mayne, an adjunct professor at the Yale School of Public Health and former head of the FDA’s food-safety department, described the outbreak as "astonishingly large" and noted that the parasite originates from human fecal contamination, which can enter produce through inadequate sanitation facilities.
Mayne highlighted that during the second Trump administration the FDA lost about 20% of its staff and the CDC’s workforce fell by roughly 25%, reducing the number of scientists monitoring food parasites from 11 to three. She added that a national advisory committee on microbial contamination was disbanded and that FoodNet, a joint surveillance program, now tracks only two of the eight microbes it previously monitored.
The Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA), a voluntary coalition of growers that enforces stricter safety protocols than federal guidelines, reported that its members follow measures such as irrigation water testing, use of hair nets and gloves, and regular state inspections. Despite these safeguards, growers acknowledge that outdoor production can still expose produce to natural bacterial presence.
Congress passed a food-safety bill in 2011 requiring detailed traceability of vulnerable ingredients, but implementation of the Traceability Rule has been delayed until 2028, limiting the ability to track future outbreaks.
Health and Human Services director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended the agency’s surveillance program, stating that cuts were limited to redundant activities. Mayne disputed this, emphasizing that the reductions have impacted monitoring capacity.
For consumers, Mayne recommended limiting consumption of bagged salads, which can spread contamination more widely, and called the current situation a "national wake-up call" for increased investment in food-safety resources.