USDA reportedly shelves cyclospora research amid relocations and fund cuts
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- Congress defunded two of three USDA cyclospora research projects at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center outside Washington DC for fiscal year 2026, with no funding appropriated in the Agriculture Appropriations Act.
- Politico reported the remaining third project is being relocated from Maryland to Iowa as part of a broader USDA reorganization, and that every scientist assigned to it has declined to move, citing people familiar with the plans and internal documents.
- A USDA spokesperson said "none of the research has been disrupted, and research will continue without disruption," while pointing to Congress over the funding cuts and noting the Agricultural Research Service is working on an "orderly transition."
- Foodborne parasite scientists are retiring or leaving USDA's Agricultural Research Service rather than relocating or being reassigned, compounding the loss of institutional expertise on cyclospora.
- The CDC has recorded more than 17,000 confirmed cyclosporiasis cases across 48 states plus Washington DC between May 1 and August 24 — one of the largest US foodborne illness outbreaks in recent history — with at least 11,844 more cases potentially requiring investigation.
Why it matters: Two of three USDA cyclospora research projects have been defunded by Congress, and every scientist on the surviving third project has refused to relocate to Iowa — eroding federal expertise on a parasite linked to 17,000+ confirmed US cases since May 1, with nearly 12,000 more under investigation.
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