Federal Cyclospora Research Stalls Amid Funding Cuts and Relocation Refusal

The Trump administration is discontinuing two of the three US Department of Agriculture (USDA) research initiatives focused on cyclospora, a foodborne parasite that has infected tens of thousands of Americans this summer, according to Politico.

Congress defunded the two projects earlier this year, while the third initiative is scheduled to relocate from Maryland to Iowa in the coming months as part of a broader USDA reorganization.

Although the third project retains its funding, all scientists assigned to the parasite have refused to relocate to Iowa, Politico reported, citing individuals familiar with the internal plans and documents.

Reuters was unable to immediately verify the report.

“None of the research has been disrupted, and research will continue without disruption,” stated a USDA spokesperson, attributing the funding reductions to Congress.

The spokesperson explained via email that Congress did not allocate funding for the two research projects conducted at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center near Washington, DC, for the 2026 fiscal year under the Agriculture Appropriations Act. They added that the Agricultural Research Service is collaborating with research leaders to ensure an orderly transition of the programs.

The report noted that scientists studying foodborne parasites, including cyclospora, are either retiring or leaving the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) instead of relocating or being reassigned to other projects.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has documented over 17,000 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis across 48 states and Washington, DC, between May 1 and August 24, marking it as one of the largest foodborne illness outbreaks in recent US history.

The CDC indicated that at least 11,844 additional cases may require further investigation and analysis.

Source link