Democrats Overstate Role of Monitoring Program Change in Parasitic Outbreak

As a large outbreak of Cyclospora has ravaged the Midwest, Democrats have frequently pinned blame on the Trump administration for terminating a monitoring program for the parasite. But the surveillance that ended is different from the system used to detect outbreaks.

The change to the program, called FoodNet, is unlikely to have played much of a direct role in the current outbreak, several food safety experts told us. Other staffing and funding cuts, however, likely have slowed or negatively affected the government’s response, experts say. And some pointed out that the reduction in FoodNet monitoring hinders scientists’ broader understanding of cyclospora infection in the U.S.

Since May, there has been a record number of cases of cyclosporiasis, a water- and foodborne intestinal illness caused by the cyclospora parasite, particularly in the Midwest. The Food and Drug Administration is currently investigating multiple outbreaks. While the disease is rarely life-threatening, it can lead to explosive diarrhea that can last for weeks if not treated with antibiotics.

In some states, cyclosporiasis cases are not higher than normal for this time of year, but in others, the caseload is unprecedented. As of July 20, there have been 4,173 laboratory-confirmed, domestically acquired cases of the disease across 41 states, with more than 7,400 other cases pending confirmation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.