Largest US cyclosporiasis outbreak on record hits as federal parasite research is defunded
The largest cyclosporiasis outbreak on record in the US, linked to Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico, has sickened over 11,000 people across 20 states with nearly 500 hospitalized and 2 deaths. Congress cut two of three federal research projects tracking the parasite as the outbreak unfolded.
The largest cyclosporiasis outbreak on record in the United States, linked to iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms grown in Mexico, has sickened more than 11,000 people across 20 states as of late August, with close to 500 hospitalized and 2 confirmed deaths. The CDC has logged over 17,000 lab-confirmed Cyclospora cases since May 1, a sharp jump from the same period last year. At the same time, Congress defunded two of three USDA research projects on Cyclospora, and the third is being relocated from Maryland to Iowa amid a department reorganization. A USDA employee told POLITICO that staff are barred from doing anything beyond preserving old samples from past outbreaks. The CDC's grants to state and local food safety programs were also cut by roughly 40% last year, and Cyclospora was dropped from the agency's active surveillance list. Former FDA food safety chief Susan Mayne says a delayed barcode traceability rule could have traced the contaminated lettuce within a day and limited its spread.