The current cyclosporiasis outbreak marks one of the largest foodborne illness outbreaks in years, following Trump and RFK Jr.’s cuts to public health agencies
Under Donald Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s watch, there have been notable outbreaks of at least ten diseases, including measles, flu, rotavirus, whooping cough, E. coli, campylobacteriosis, listeria, cryptosporidiosis, infant botulism, and most recently, cyclosporiasis.
Amid public health funding and staffing cuts, there have already been nearly 7,000 cases of cyclosporiasis confirmed or under investigation nationwide, making it one of the largest foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S. in years.
In response, DNC Spokesperson Jaelin O’Halloran released the following statement:
“Donald Trump and RFK Jr. gutted our public health agencies, and now Americans are facing yet another major outbreak. Trump and RFK Jr.’s reckless funding and staffing cuts to critical agencies — and dangerous public health disinformation — have weakened our response to preventable outbreaks and made our food supply less safe. American families should be able to trust in their public health officials to keep them safe and healthy — but under Trump and RFK Jr., families and communities are left scared and in harm’s way of serious illness and diseases.”
Under RFK Jr., the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) ended mandatory monitoring of cyclosporiasis under the decades-old FoodNet program, which experts warn will make it more difficult to track outbreaks over time. Over 200 consumer safety specialists left the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under RFK Jr., including dozens of workers responsible for safeguarding food — which former officials have warned could lead investigators to “miss something” like “a contaminant in a piece of food.” Meanwhile, HHS has dismissed the outbreak, claiming cases “naturally rise every year” — despite the U.S. now facing its worst year on record.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has also cut back on crucial food safety staff and quality control testing at USDA. By February 2026, USDA ousted nearly 1,000 staff who promoted food safety and prevented foodborne illnesses. USDA also dissolved a committee that was developing guidance for foodborne illness outbreaks. Meanwhile, Rollins has shirked her responsibility for the current outbreak, calling it an “FDA issue, not USDA.”
The vaccine misinformation RFK Jr. has spent years pushing has also worsened the spread of several illnesses, including measles, flu, rotavirus, and whooping cough. RFK Jr. has promoted unproven alternatives to vaccines and standard treatments, and during his first week at HHS, he eliminated a successful flu vaccine campaign and later directed the CDC to remove any advertising encouraging vaccinations. The U.S. is currently experiencing the largest outbreak of measles in decades and flu cases reached the highest level in decades in 2025.
The U.S. has also grappled with outbreaks of E. coli — tied to raw milk produced by a company RFK Jr. has long supported — and listeria.
