HARRISBURG, DAUPHIN CO. (WOLF) — Thousands of Americans have been sickened during a series of significant foodborne illness outbreaks in 2026, as an extraordinary increase in infections from a microscopic parasite puts renewed attention on changes to federal food-safety surveillance and staffing.
Federal health officials have investigated outbreaks involving Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria and Cyclospora, with contaminated foods ranging from produce to eggs and cheese.
But one illness in particular has stood out this year: cyclosporiasis, an intestinal infection caused by the parasite Cyclospora.
Cyclospora cases soar in 2026
Cyclospora is typically spread when people consume food or water contaminated with the parasite. Symptoms can include frequent watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, bloating, nausea and fatigue.
Without treatment, symptoms can persist for weeks or longer.
CDC surveillance shows the number of domestically acquired cases has climbed dramatically during the 2026 season. Federal officials have described this year’s numbers as far higher than what was seen during recent seasons.
The increase does not mean overall foodborne illness in the United States has risen at the same rate. Cyclospora represents one specific foodborne illness, and complete national statistics for all foodborne illnesses in 2026 are not yet available.
Federal surveillance changed before outbreak
The record-setting season is also drawing scrutiny because of changes to a major CDC foodborne disease surveillance program.
For decades, the CDC’s Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, known as FoodNet, conducted active surveillance for eight major pathogens, including Cyclospora.
Beginning July 1, 2025, however, FoodNet made reporting optional for all of those pathogens except Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, or STEC. That means Cyclospora is no longer subject to the same required reporting through FoodNet that it previously received.
FoodNet operates in 10 sites covering about 16% of the U.S. population and is designed primarily to measure disease trends and the overall burden of foodborne illnesses.
The change has prompted questions from lawmakers and public health experts about whether reductions in federal food-safety resources have made it more difficult to understand and respond to the unprecedented increase in Cyclospora infections.
CDC says outbreak detection remains intact
The CDC, however, says an important distinction needs to be made.
FoodNet was not designed primarily to detect outbreaks, and the agency says changes to FoodNet did not eliminate the national surveillance systems it uses to identify and investigate Cyclospora outbreaks.
CDC officials said states continue reporting Cyclospora through national surveillance and that the systems and processes being used during the 2026 outbreak are the same ones used during previous seasons.
The CDC also continues to maintain a national Cyclospora surveillance program and work with state and federal agencies to identify clusters and possible sources of infections.
Several food-safety experts have similarly cautioned against blaming the size of the current outbreak solely on the FoodNet change. Experts told FactCheck.org that reducing FoodNet’s Cyclospora monitoring likely had little direct impact on detecting the outbreak, although broader staffing and funding reductions could affect the government’s response and make it more difficult to study long-term trends.
Questions over staffing and resources
The debate extends beyond FoodNet.
The unprecedented outbreak has renewed scrutiny of staffing and funding reductions affecting federal and state public health programs.
Lawmakers have questioned whether staffing reductions, hiring freezes, employee departures and restructuring at the CDC have affected the agency’s ability to investigate the outbreak.
Recent reporting has also raised concerns about reductions affecting federal Cyclospora expertise and the government’s ability to respond to outbreaks.
However, it would be inaccurate to say the CDC eliminated the department responsible for Cyclospora.
The CDC continues to conduct national surveillance for the parasite, and cyclosporiasis remains a nationally notifiable disease. The FoodNet change instead made reporting of Cyclospora through that particular active-surveillance network optional.
Pennsylvania among states reporting cases
Pennsylvania is also part of the national picture.
One complication in measuring the outbreak locally is that Cyclospora cases are voluntarily reported in Pennsylvania, according to the CDC. Federal officials caution that case totals are preliminary and may not capture every infection.
Reliable current county-by-county figures for Northeastern Pennsylvania have not been made publicly available, making it difficult to determine precisely how many 2026 infections have occurred in NEPA.
More than one food safety concern
Cyclospora is only one part of the food-safety picture in 2026.
Other outbreaks this year have involved several major foodborne pathogens, while federal investigators have continued working to identify contaminated products and trace how they moved through the nation’s food supply.
Historical CDC data also show foodborne illness rates were already a concern before 2026. The agency’s most recent finalized FoodNet comparison found infections from commonly foodborne pathogens were either higher than or similar to levels recorded during 2016 through 2018.
For now, the extraordinary Cyclospora numbers are creating both a public health challenge and a debate over whether the country’s food-safety infrastructure has enough resources to respond.
Federal officials continue to investigate the illnesses and identify their sources as the 2026 Cyclospora season continues.
