The outbreak of cyclosporiasis has highlighted “vulnerabilities” in food safety systems in the U.S., says Barbara Kowalcyk, an associate professor at George Washington University and director of the school’s Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security.
The Guardian says the outbreak, now reckoned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to have affected more than 11,000 people, has put a spotlight on how U.S. states and the federal government work together to track foodborne illnesses – and where they diverge.
“What’s surprising to me is the magnitude of it, and how it highlights all these system vulnerabilities,” Kowalcyk told The Guardian.
Taylor Farms de Mexico initiated a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce sold to restaurants, including Taco Bell, in 27 states’ grocery stores in 15 states.
Read More: The Elements of Supply Chain Resilience and Effective Recall Management
Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal infection caused by cyclospora, a microscopic parasitic protozoa. It can cause weeks of watery, explosive, relapsing diarrhea. More than 300 people have been hospitalized so far; none have died. The infection is more prevalent than in previous summers, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigating six outbreaks of cyclosporiasis, including one large nine-state outbreak.
This outbreak has come at a time of significant strain on U.S. state and federal health departments. The administration of Donald Trump initiated major cuts to public health in 2025, and the CDC lost between 25 and 30% of staff. Within the CDC, a specialized parasitic disease team was downsized from 11 people to just three. In part, that’s because the group was partly funded by USAID, which was also gutted by cuts, The Guardian reports.
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