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The CDC has experienced several budget cuts under the Trump administration, which may have affected it’s ability to respond to the current Cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands of people. (Photo by Nathan Posner\/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Thousands of people across the United States have been infected with Cyclospora cayetanensis, a parasite that can cause prolonged diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea and fatigue. As health officials investigate the growing outbreak, some experts and members of the public are asking if government cuts to public health have hampered the investigation. <\/p>\n
The outbreak is growing rapidly, with Michigan reporting more than 2,600 cases<\/a> and illnesses reported across over 30 states. Yet investigators have not yet identified a confirmed source, or sources of the contamination.<\/p>\n \u201cThe lack of information on possible sources for the outbreak is frustrating,\u201d said Craig Hedberg, PhD, professor of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. \u201cIt is normal for public health and regulatory officials to be somewhat guarded with information about potential sources of contamination while the investigation is ongoing. This may be necessary to provide opportunities to trace possible sources of contamination.”<\/p>\n The difficulty of the investigation has renewed debate over recent cuts<\/a> to foodborne disease surveillance and public health funding by the current U.S. government on both the state and federal level.<\/p>\n \u201cHave the funding cuts to public health impacted the current activities related to the Cyclospora outbreak? I think they have,\u201d said Barbara Kowalcyk, PhD, director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University, quoted in The Guardian<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kowalcyk explained that staffing limitations can affect the speed of investigations, particularly when investigators need to interview patients about possible exposures. Delays can make it more difficult to identify common exposures because patients may struggle to remember what they ate weeks earlier, and contaminated food may no longer be available for testing.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like putting a puzzle together. You start taking pieces out of your puzzle – it’s harder to see the whole picture, and that’s what we’ve done. We’ve taken pieces out of the whole puzzle,\u201d Kowalcyk said.<\/p>\n