USDA shutters two cyclospora research projects as outbreak tops 17,000 cases

Third project scientists decline to relocate from Maryland to Iowa

The US Department of Agriculture is shuttering two of three federal research projects studying cyclospora after the parasite sickened more than 17,000 Americans since May 1, according to a Sunday Politico report cited by The Guardian. The two defunded projects lost congressional appropriations for fiscal 2026, while the third is set to be relocated from Maryland to Iowa as part of a broader USDA reorganization, Politico reported.

The closures come as the CDC documents one of the largest US foodborne illness outbreaks in recent US history, with confirmed cases spread across 48 states and Washington, DC, and additional cases under investigation.

The two defunded projects were based at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center outside Washington, DC. Congress did not appropriate funding for them in the Agriculture Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, a USDA spokesperson said. The Agricultural Research Service is working with research leaders to ensure an orderly transition of the programs, the spokesperson added in an emailed statement.

“None of the research has been disrupted, and research will continue without disruption,” a USDA spokesperson said, while pointing to Congress over the funding cuts. Reuters could not immediately verify the Politico report, The Guardian noted.

The third remaining project is set to be moved from Maryland to Iowa in coming months as part of a broader USDA reorganization, Politico reported, citing people familiar with the plans and internal documents. Although the project remains funded, all scientists working on the parasite have declined to relocate to Iowa, the outlet reported.

Scientists researching foodborne parasites, including cyclospora, are retiring or leaving the ARS rather than relocate or be reassigned to other projects, Politico reported.

The CDC has recorded more than 17,000 confirmed cyclosporiasis cases across 48 states plus Washington, DC, from May 1 to August 24, making it one of the largest foodborne illness outbreaks in recent US history. At least 11,844 additional cases may require further investigation and analysis, the agency said.