Klobuchar Urges CDC, FDA to Restore Food Safety Funding as Cyclosporiasis Cases Rise

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is urging the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reinstate funding and staffing for federal and state food safety programs to fight the surge in cyclosporiasis cases across the United States. 

Cyclosporiasis is an illness caused by eating contaminated food or drinking water and can lead to severe dehydration, fatigue and other health issues. As of July 13, the CDC is reporting 1,645 lab-confirmed cases in people who acquired cyclosporiasis in the United States. Those cases were reported by 34 states. People became sick after eating food in the United States and did not report any travel during the 14 days before they got sick.

CDC added that it is aware of more than 5,100 additional cases that require further analysis to confirm the illness as domestically acquired cyclosporiasis.

Individual states are reporting their own case counts, with Michigan topping the list at 4,312 cases in the state as of July 16 and 102 hospitalizations.

In her letter, Klobuchar urged the CDC and FDA to restore funding and staffing cuts made by the administration to federal and state food safety programs, including the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), Public Health Infrastructure Grants, Preventive Services Block Grant, Food Safety Inspection Service and Food Emergency Response Network. 

Reporting of Cyclospora infections to FoodNet became optional for data collected on or after July 1, 2025, when CDC narrowed required reporting to Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. FoodNet previously conducted surveillance for Campylobacter, Cyclospora, Listeria, Shigella, Vibrio and Yersinia infections.

“As a currently uncontrolled large foodborne outbreak across the country continues, cuts to these programs are impacting our nation’s ability to prevent, detect and contain foodborne illnesses and protect public health,” she wrote. “Preventing foodborne illnesses like cyclosporiasis and expediently detecting and responding to outbreaks are life-saving and economically essential functions of the FDA, CDC and state health and agriculture departments working in collaboration and coordination with one another. The recent actions taken by the administration have significantly weakened federal and state defenses and undermined nationwide coordination against foodborne illnesses, particularly when there is no longer a central location for reporting and comparing data across state lines.”

The full letter is available here.