July 28, 2026

Doctors for America Calls for Immediate Action from the Federal Agencies to Strengthen Food Safety Response Amid Growing Cyclospora Outbreak

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Cases of Cyclospora infection, cyclosporiasis, continue to spread across the United States. As of July 24, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 4,173 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis and 308 hospitalizations across 41 states, with more than 7,400 additional cases under investigation.

Many factors are contributing to the record number of cases identified this year, but the current outbreak underscores the negative impact of recent policy, funding, and staff cutbacks for disease surveillance and public health at the federal, state, and local levels.

Beginning July 1, 2025, the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), a  collaboration among CDC, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and 10 state health departments, has reduced mandatory surveillance from eight pathogens, including cyclospora, to just two.

As the only federal surveillance system that actively monitors for multiple foodborne diseases, food safety experts worried that scaling FoodNet back would make it harder to identify and respond to disease outbreaks. In addition, reductions in staffing and funding for food safety monitoring and public health have weakened the capacity to identify and respond to disease outbreaks in a timely manner.

“The health care system is being strained in some areas with the highest concentration of cyclosporiasis cases, requiring special stool testing, prescription antibiotics, or even hospitalization,” said Anmol Gupta, MD, Vice Chair of the FDA Task Force at Doctors for America (DFA). “Every foodborne illness that could have been prevented by robust routine public health oversight represents a failure of the systems designed to protect us. Patients and physicians should have confidence that our food safety agencies have the personnel and resources to identify contaminated products quickly and prevent illness.”

In response to this latest nationwide outbreak linked to contaminated produce, DFA calls on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to reverse recent policy and resource changes that have increased Americans’ vulnerability to foodborne illness:

• Restore staffing and capacity at the FDA, USDA, and CDC to levels that allow them to carry out necessary and routine inspections of our food systems.
• Resume comprehensive FoodNet surveillance of all enteric pathogens that cause foodborne illness and ensure adequate funding and staffing to carry out these responsibilities.
• Fully staff public health divisions within the FDA, CDC, and other public health agencies responsible for traceback investigations so contaminated products can be identified and removed from circulation.

Congress must also address fragmentation of federal food safety oversight. The SAFE FOOD Act (S.1822) offers one path forward. But a comprehensive response requires more robust surveillance and regulatory oversight of a coordinated public health system to ensure future outbreaks are detected early before contaminating our food supply.

“The current risk-based approach is proving too risky for our patients,” said Dr. Gupta. “Doctors for America remains committed to working with lawmakers and advocates to advance evidence-based policies that protect patients and strengthen our nation’s food safety system.”

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For press inquiries and to speak more on this issue with members of Doctors for America, please contact Alli Everton with Continuum Health Group (aeverton@cha-dc.com).

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About Doctors for America:

Doctors for America (DFA) is a national nonprofit that mobilizes over 40,000 physicians and medical trainees to advocate for policies that improve the health of patients and communities. Through advocacy training and action at the state and federal levels, DFA works to expand access to affordable care, strengthen community health and prevention, and advance health justice and equity. We do not accept funding from pharmaceutical, insurance, or for-profit health care entities, ensuring our work remains fiercely independent and patient-centered. DFA puts patients over politics–and over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on X @drsforamerica or Bluesky drsforamerica.bsky.social.

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