US Food Safety Funding Cuts Raise Cyclospora Outbreak Fears

Food safety leaders across the United States warn that recent federal budget cuts have weakened the nation’s ability to detect and control foodborne illnesses. The latest cyclospora outbreak has sickened thousands of people in dozens of states, prompting concerns that the next pathogen could be far more deadly.

Under President Donald Trump’s second term, billions of dollars in public‑health funding were slashed and thousands of federal health workers were dismissed. The administration also curtailed the CDC’s FoodNet surveillance program, ending mandatory reporting for cyclospora and five other pathogens that collectively cause hundreds of deaths annually. Lawyer Bill Marler said, “You’re basically allowing for outbreaks to continue without being figured out. Invariably more people will get sick.” The changes also affect tracking of listeria, a bacterium that kills up to 30 % of those infected and results in an estimated 170‑260 deaths each year, according to CDC and FDA data.