Robert F Kennedy Jr claims budget cuts aren't impacting food safety as cyclosporiasis outbreak surges
Ali Condon
Featured Image Credit: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Robert F Kennedy Jr has insisted that budget cuts aren't affecting food safety in the United States despite a surge in cyclosporiasis cases.
If you've never heard of it before, cyclosporiasis is a nasty intestinal illness caused by a tiny parasite called Cyclospora. The 'explosive diarrhea' parasite can contaminate fresh fruit, vegetables, and water, leaving people suffering from severe diarrhoea, stomach cramps, fatigue, and nausea.
According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 4,000 people across 41 states have now been infected.
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As US officials work to pinpoint the source and stop the spread of the parasite, the outbreak has sparked questions over whether recent public health budget cuts have hampered the response.
Speaking to press on Tuesday (21 July), Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr insisted that the outbreak was already 'under control' and claimed federal cuts to health services last year had not affected the investigation.
Not everyone is convinced, though.
Several former CDC officials have argued that the US is less equipped to deal with disease outbreaks after sweeping cuts in public health staffing and funding.
Speaking to The Guardian, they said programmes specifically dedicated to tracking parasitic diseases like cyclosporiasis lost experienced scientists and key resources as a result.
Former chief medical officer for the CDC Debra Houry told the publication: "Unfortunately, we're really moving in the wrong direction."
She added that cuts made by the 'Department of Government Efficiency' (DOGE) had seen the CDC lose 'a lot of our lab scientists, and some of our specialised experts on things like rabies - those you can’t replace overnight.'
Joel Barrett, who previously ran the CDC's Cyclospora laboratory, has also claimed that his team was slashed 'from 11 to 3 people' during those cuts.
Speaking to CBS News, he said: "I think the loss of staff on the cyclospora laboratory team did likely delay the response."
Despite a false-positive result, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now believes that the outbreak is linked to iceberg lettuce grown by Taylor Farms in central Mexico.
While tests continue, Taylor Farms has confirmed it is cooperating with the FDA's investigation and 'completed a voluntary recall of iceberg lettuce from central Mexico'.
In a statement posted to their website, they added: "To be clear, at this moment, FDA has not identified a single positive product test result for Cyclospora."
For now, the search for the exact source continues, while thousands of Americans are left dealing with an illness that's anything but pleasant.
In the meantime, health officials have advised anyone experiencing persistent diarrhoea, stomach cramps of other symptoms of cyclosporiasis to seek medical advice, as the nasty illness can last for weeks if left untreated.