The nation is currently grappling with a widespread outbreak of explosive diarrhea, linked to a parasite that the CDC ceased federal surveillance of in July 2025. This decision coincided with the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce funding for federal health and science agencies, impacting crucial programs like FoodNet, which previously tracked eight foodborne pathogens, including cyclospora. Now, with FoodNet’s surveillance drastically reduced to only two diseases, states are facing their own outbreaks and acknowledging that without federal support, their ability to monitor these threats is compromised, potentially leaving the public more vulnerable.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reduced its foodborne illness surveillance program, FoodNet, from monitoring eight pathogens to two, a year before a significant outbreak of cyclosporiasis occurred. This reduction, which made monitoring specific pathogens optional, took place as cyclospora infections surged across the U.S., with states like Michigan reporting hundreds of cases. Concurrently, the CDC dissolved its Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, which had previously handled work on such infections, leading to a reallocation of staff and responsibilities within the agency. Investigators are actively working to identify the source of the current cyclosporiasis outbreak, which has affected at least 18 states, though a definitive link to a specific food product has not yet been established.
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John Q. Hosedrinker