The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed over 15,700 cases of cyclosporiasis in the U.S. as of the week of August 20, 2026. The summer 2026 cyclosporiasis outbreak has been mostly linked to contaminated iceberg lettuce grown in Mexico.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had 11 scientists tracking food parasites before the Trump administration's cuts, but now only three remain. Much of the funding for the CDC's Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria came from the Agency for International Development. The Agency for International Development was shuttered by the Trump administration. State and local governments historically received support from the CDC, the FDA, and the Agency for International Development for scientific expertise, lab testing, and pathogen monitoring overseas.

The FDA previously sought advice from microbiologists and epidemiologists at the CDC's Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria. The CDC's Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria researched Cyclospora and other emerging parasites. The FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is now part of the Human Foods Program. The Department of Health and Human Services stated that Human Foods Program staff who work with foreign regulatory counterparts had been reinstated.

Kentucky's Cabinet for Health and Family Services reported its food safety staff is down 30 to 50 percent. Approximately half of all food safety staff positions in West Virginia are vacant. A county in West Virginia employed four full-time sanitarians two years prior to August 2026.

The same West Virginia county reduced its sanitarian staff to two employees as of August 2026. The West Virginia county lost its only epidemiologist. West Virginia lawmakers lowered the state's job requirements for sanitarians from a four-year college degree to a two-year associate's degree in March 2026.

Michigan has the highest caseload of cyclosporiasis among states. Michigan successfully fought grant cuts in court. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services stated that disease surveillance, investigation, reporting, and public service messaging continue due to the court victory.

The Ohio Department of Health stated its Cyclospora response is unaffected by staffing cuts. The FDA stated it continues to work with federal, state, and international partners to investigate these outbreaks. The FDA stated it deploys personnel where they have the greatest public health impact.

Timeline

The cyclosporiasis outbreak began in May 2026. The Trump administration reduced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's grants by 40 percent, totaling approximately $5.8 billion as of May 2026.

How Sources Differ

That the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had 11 scientists tracking food parasites before the Trump administration's cuts, but now only three remain.

Food and Drug Administration grant guidelines state that most state food safety and outbreak programs are funded by grants from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Agency for International Development program archives state that state and local governments historically received support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Agency for International Development for scientific expertise, lab testing, and pathogen monitoring overseas.

Inter-agency collaboration records state that the Food and Drug Administration previously sought advice from microbiologists and epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria.

Why It Matters

The reduction in federal grants and the closure of the Agency for International Development have altered the resources available for food safety enforcement. State health departments in Kentucky and West Virginia report staffing shortages, while Michigan and Ohio maintain their response capabilities through legal action or existing resources. The shift in staffing levels coincides with a large-scale outbreak linked to imported produce.