Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended the federal government’s foodborne illness surveillance efforts amid a widespread outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection causing severe gastrointestinal symptoms. In an interview on July 29, Kennedy stated that the current surveillance system is functioning more effectively than ever, despite thousands of reported cases across the country.

Cyclosporiasis, caused by the Cyclospora parasite, typically results in explosive diarrhea and has a lengthy incubation period of about two weeks. This delay complicates efforts to identify contaminated food sources, as the suspect products are often no longer available by the time patients become symptomatic. Kennedy cited a similar multistate outbreak in 2018, which was quickly addressed after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was notified and a linked retailer voluntarily removed the suspected product from stores. That outbreak involved contaminated salad, and testing by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was completed within weeks.

The current outbreak, affecting 45 states, has been partially linked to processed iceberg lettuce sourced from Taylor Farms in central Mexico, which supplies Taco Bell restaurants among others. Investigations by the FDA continue as authorities remain vigilant for additional sources due to the scale of the outbreak. Michigan health officials reported 10,077 cases as of late July, with 160 hospitalizations but no deaths. The CDC has documented 6,707 laboratory-confirmed infections domestically and is investigating more than 11,500 additional probable cases.

Despite Kennedy’s assertion that staff reductions at the CDC have not impaired disease surveillance, the agency scaled back the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) last year. FoodNet had tracked infections caused by multiple pathogens, including Cyclospora, for decades. The CDC announced the program would no longer monitor eight of the ten pathogens it had previously tracked, raising concerns among experts about the potential impact on outbreak detection and response.

Kalmia Kniel, a microbial food safety professor at the University of Delaware, expressed concern that the reduction in surveillance data limits the ability of health officials to trace sources and prevent further illness. Food safety attorney Bill Marler highlighted the difficulties inherent in tracing cyclosporiasis outbreaks, emphasizing that the parasitic nature of the pathogen and the longer incubation period necessitate extensive investigation efforts—a task potentially hampered by budget cuts and reduced staffing at federal agencies.

Public health authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as the investigation proceeds, underlining the ongoing challenges posed by foodborne parasitic infections and the importance of robust surveillance systems.