CDC counts more than 4,000 cyclosporiasis cases in 41 states

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the multi-state cyclosporiasis outbreak was “under control” even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 4,000 confirmed cases across 41 states. He also said last year’s federal budget cuts did not affect the investigation, a claim now colliding with a fast-moving outbreak that CDC tracking shows is still widening.

Cyclosporiasis is a parasitic intestinal infection that public-health agencies say is typically linked to contaminated produce. The illness can cause prolonged diarrhea, and state advisories have urged people to watch for symptoms after eating raw fruits and vegetables that may have been exposed to tainted water or handling during harvesting and packing. The CDC’s surveillance materials identify produce as the main risk factor, making the source of contamination central to stopping new infections.

The CDC’s July outbreak investigation linked the cases to iceberg lettuce and said it was tracking illnesses across multiple states. Reuters reported July 14 that the agency expected the case count to rise, and by July 21 U.S. cyclosporiasis cases had topped 4,100. The gap between Kennedy’s reassurance and the CDC’s escalating tally has sharpened scrutiny over how quickly federal health officials moved to detect, trace and communicate the outbreak.

ABC News reported Kennedy made his “under control” comment when the outbreak had sickened at least 1,600 people in five states. Since then, the CDC has identified confirmed cases in 41 states, turning a regional food-safety problem into a national one. The Food and Drug Administration has also been examining produce items as the investigation continued.

Political fallout has followed the case count. Sen. Jon Ossoff publicly criticized Kennedy for ending CDC surveillance of cyclosporiasis, saying the move hurt monitoring during the outbreak. The criticism lands in a public-health response already being judged against a simple measure: whether officials were able to see the outbreak early enough to limit exposure before iceberg lettuce reached more tables nationwide.