FoodNet is a joint federal–state surveillance program for certain foodborne diseases. Last year, CDC scaled back the number of pathogens monitored by the program from eight to two. Cyclospora cayetenensis was one of the pathogens eliminated from FoodNet.

Fast forward to 2026, and the U.S. is experiencing a cyclosporiasis outbreak of historic proportions. As of July 22, CDC reports that more than 1,600 people across five states have been sickened by Cyclospora-contaminated lettuce from Taylor Farms of Mexico. Michigan and Ohio alone have reported more than 8,000 cases of cyclosporiasis this summer.

The outbreak, and elevated rates of non-outbreak-related Cyclospora infections across the U.S., have prompted discussion about the U.S.’ generally under-resourced public health infrastructure and scrutiny of last year’s FoodNet cuts.

Senators ‘Confounded by the Decisions’ of HHS

In his July 15 letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leader RFK Jr., Sen. Stanton wrote, “The cuts to FoodNet were one of several actions that reduced public health capacity... There is clear evidence that federal-state active monitoring programs greatly improve outbreak detection… Evidence shows that CDC-funded foodborne disease programs are key to outbreak detection and reporting. Therefore, I am confounded by the decisions that led us to the situation we are in today.”

In another letter to Secretary Kennedy dated July 16, Sen. Ossoff asserted, “Your … demolition of critical public health programs puts Americans at risk. The Trump Administration is actively undermining food safety.”

Sens. Stanton and Ossoff urged HHS and Secretary Kennedy to respond with explanations about the decision to scale back FoodNet, CDC’s funding and staffing for work on foodborne and parasitic diseases, and the impacts of FoodNet cuts on the current cyclosporiasis outbreak investigation.

In an earlier letter, Sen. Klobuchar stated, “As a currently uncontrolled, large foodborne [illness] outbreak across the country continues, cuts to these programs are impacting our nation's ability to prevent, detect, and contain foodborne illnesses and protect public health.”

Experts: ‘FoodNet Did Not Cause Cyclosporiasis Outbreak’

Leading epidemiology, food microbiology, and food policy experts discussed the FoodNet cuts in a July 16 media briefing held by George Washington University’s Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security (GWU’s IFSNS).

Sarah Sorcher, J.D., M.P.H., Director of Regulatory Affairs for the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), said, “FoodNet cuts didn't cause this outbreak, but they are a symptom of a deeper problem, and that is that our outbreak response programs are running out of money.”

Barbara Kowalcyk, Ph.D., M.A., Associate Professor at the GWU Milken Institute School of Public Health, explained, “[FoodNet] actually didn't have a funding cut. Really, the system was never funded adequately to track eight pathogens and they had to right-size expectations for the amount of funding that they have.”

She continued, “FoodNet is not designed to detect outbreaks. It is designed to monitor trends, [which is] still really important.” Rather, the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System and CDC’s PulseNet are more designed to detect outbreaks. At the same time, because Cyclospora is no longer included in FoodNet, it will be more difficult to understand how the current outbreak fits in with longer trends.

Both CSPI and GWU’s IFSNS signed a letter to Secretary Kennedy in November 2025 urging adequate funding for FoodNet, as well as a 50 percent ($36 million) increase in funding for the CDC Food Safety Program.

Changes in CDC Cyclospora Responsibilities

Interestingly, during the call, John Besser, Ph.D., an independent consultant who previously served as Deputy Chief of the Enteric Diseases Laboratory Branch at CDC, shared that there have recently been organizational changes at CDC impacting the oversight of Cyclospora. The parasite is now a joint responsibility between the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases (DFWED) and the Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria (DPDM).

Dr. Besser called this change “great, because [DPDM] has daily experience with handling these outbreak investigations.”

CDC’s Domestic Parasitic Disease Division Not Eliminated

In his letter, Sen. Stanton wrote, “CDC disbanded its Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, which housed federal expertise on Cyclospora and other parasitic diseases.” Various media reports also make this claim.

Dr. Besser clarified to Food Safety Magazine that DPDM has not been disbanded—not entirely. Only the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded operations within DPDM were cut under the Trump Administration.

“The USAID employees normally worked on global malaria, but would serve as surge capacity in an outbreak (like Cyclospora),” Dr. Besser explained.

Supporting this, White House spokesperson Kush Desai told CNN that “The referenced USAID funds that were administered by CDC supported overseas programs, not domestic disease response.”

However, unnamed expert sources also told CNN that some of the USAID money had paid for shared lab equipment that also benefited Cyclospora research, as well as staff that could help in an outbreak. These losses may contribute to lagging outbreak response in the current situation, per the experts.

It is also worth noting that, beyond FoodNet and DPDM technicalities, myriad funding cuts and staff attrition at CDC may be impacting the agency's ability to quickly respond to foodborne illness outbreaks.