Jon Ossoff rips RFK Jr. for scaling back of cyclosporiasis tracking program
Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) has criticized the Department of Health and Human Services for reducing the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) to monitor only two pathogens, leading to a widespread cyclosporiasis outbreak across 34 states. Over 1,645 cases have been confirmed since May, with many more under investigation, primarily affecting Michigan. Ossoff accused the agency of undermining food safety efforts, which he blames for the outbreak, citing the agency’s decision to cut back on pathogen surveillance as a contributing factor.Cyclosporiasis is caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis and can result from contaminated food or water, often linked to imported produce like raspberries and lettuce. Ossoff urged Kennedy to clarify whether FoodNet has resumed tracking Cyclospora and to provide updates on the investigation. FoodNet, a collaboration among CDC, USDA, FDA, and state health departments, previously monitored eight pathogens but reduced to two in 2025 due to evolving surveillance strategies. Experts warned that scaling back pathogen monitoring could hinder the ability to track foodborne illnesses effectively.
Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding answers for the “foolish and self-indulgent demolition” of the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, as a cyclosporiasis outbreak spreads across 34 states.
FoodNet had historically tracked Cyclospora cayetanensis, the parasite responsible for cyclosporiasis, as part of its surveillance of eight pathogens, but reduced surveillance to just two pathogens in July 2025.
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In a letter to Kennedy, Ossoff cited the Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to cut back on the number of pathogens it tracks as a reason for the current outbreak.
“Now a cyclosporiasis outbreak sweeps the nation,” Ossoff said in the letter. “Your foolish and self-indulgent demolition of critical public health programs puts Americans at risk.
There have been 1,645 cases of cyclosporiasis confirmed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since May, with over 5,100 cases undergoing further analysis nationwide. Thirty-four states have reported cases to the CDC, with the largest number in Michigan.
“The Trump Administration is actively undermining food safety,” Ossoff said, noting the number of cases across the U.S. “Americans are suffering from severe diarrhea and painful complications.”
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection often contracted by drinking food or water contaminated with human feces infected with the Cyclospora cayetanensis parasite. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, nausea, and fatigue. Outbreaks in the past have been tied to imported produce such as raspberries, cilantro, mesclun lettuce, snow peas, and basil, according to the CDC.
Ossoff requested that Kennedy clarify if FoodNet has restored tracking of Cyclospora cayetanensis, why tracking was terminated, and provide an update on investigations seeking the source and scope of the outbreak.
FoodNet is a collaborative program among the CDC, the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and 10 state health departments. The surveillance area covers 16% of the U.S. population.
According to the CDC’s website, the decision to cut surveillance to two pathogens, Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. Coli, was because “the surveillance landscape has changed since the collaboration began in 1995.”
“Today, other surveillance systems monitor for infection with FoodNet pathogens,” the website said. “Changes to the reporting requirements and associated activities allow FoodNet staff to prioritize core activities, while maintaining both the infrastructure and quality FoodNet represents.”
WHAT IS CYCLOSPORIASIS, AND WHAT ARE THE HIGHEST-RISK STATES?
While FoodNet no longer required surveillance of Cyclospora cayetanensis and five other pathogens, the state health departments involved in the program could conduct surveillance of the pathogens on their own. The program includes Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, and select counties in California and New York.
At the time of the reporting requirement cuts, food safety experts warned the move could create difficulty in tracking how common food-borne illnesses are and if cases are rising.
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