Trump administration shelves Cyclospora research despite record outbreak
Two of three research programs on the parasite Cyclospora at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have been defunded, and the third is losing its scientists. The move occurs amidst a record-breaking nationwide outbreak of the pathogen.
The Trump administration is halting federal research into the foodborne parasite Cyclospora, despite a record-breaking nationwide outbreak of the pathogen. Two of the three research programs representing nearly all Cyclospora work at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have been defunded, and the third is set to lose all its scientists.
The USDA plans to shutter its Beltsville Agricultural Research Center near Washington, DC, and relocate its work to a facility in Iowa. This move includes the transfer of the remaining Cyclospora research. However, insiders have indicated that none of the scientists working on the project intend to relocate from Maryland to Iowa.
Instead, these researchers are reportedly retiring, being reassigned to different projects, or leaving USDA research services altogether. The decision to curtail research comes as Cyclospora infections have surged, causing widespread gastrointestinal illness across the country.
Cyclospora is typically transmitted through contaminated food, such as fresh produce. The halt in research raises concerns about the ability to track and understand the pathogen's spread and develop effective mitigation strategies for future outbreaks.