CDC stopped tracking this parasite. Now it’s behind a nationwide outbreak of explosive diarrhea

The United States is currently in the midst of a national outbreak of “explosive diarrhea.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) previously tracked cyclosporiasis — the illness caused by the Cyclospora parasite — until July 2025, when the agency stopped monitoring it after federal funding cuts.

HuffPost reports that the CDC faced several funding reductions to federal health and scientific research as part of the Donald Trump administration’s efforts to improve what it described as government efficiency. At the same time, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has also been pushing policy shifts that have directly intersected with the country’s public health response.

The cuts didn’t achieve the administration’s goals

Prior to 2025, the CDC relied on a collaborative surveillance system called FoodNet, which monitored eight major foodborne pathogens. The Trump administration then pursued the Elon Musk-backed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative in an ambitious effort to reduce federal spending by $2 trillion and balance the budget.

At the time, many within the MAGA movement believed that eliminating funding for programs they considered unnecessary would allow Trump to balance the federal budget for the first time since Bill Clinton’s administration in 2000. It’s worth noting that despite those cuts, the Treasury Department confirmed a total federal deficit of $1.8 trillion in fiscal year 2025.

However, some of the programs that lost funding were viewed by CDC staff as essential. Among them was surveillance for six of FoodNet’s eight major foodborne pathogens, including Cyclospora, Campylobacter, and Shigella. After the cuts, FoodNet continued routinely monitoring only Salmonella and E. coli. Tracking Cyclospora became optional for participating states, making nationwide surveillance more difficult.

Craig Hedberg, Ph.D., a professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Minnesota, said, “The disturbing thing about cutting FoodNet funds is that it normalizes the idea that foodborne disease surveillance is expensive and unimportant.” Hedberg continued, “In fact, it is the foundation of our food safety system and needs further investments, not restrictions.”

RFK Jr. also made significant staffing changes at the CDC, and since then there have been fewer officials within the agency who do not align with his views on public health. A CDC spokesperson reportedly downplayed the impact of the funding cuts, arguing that state health departments could pick up the slack.

The situation has become particularly concerning in Colorado, which participated in FoodNet surveillance before the funding cuts and has since emerged as one of the outbreak hotspots. “I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy,” Denver resident Reba Pousma said. Pousma continued, “I’m on day five now of going to the bathroom over 40 times a day, and nothing has been solid.”

It can last for over a month

Cases have surged to more than 1,000 across over 30 states, with significant clusters affecting parts of the Midwest, particularly Michigan. Unlike many forms of food poisoning, which typically resolve within a few days, cyclospora infections can persist for weeks. In some cases, symptoms last for more than a month.

The CDC said it is aware of the outbreak. However, the agency did not indicate that it plans to change its current surveillance policies for Cyclospora.