Budget Cuts Hamper Hunt for Source of 2,800-Case Food Illness Outbreak

A cyclosporiasis outbreak spanning 31 states has hit 2,800 cases while public health labs face severe funding cuts. Michigan lost $5.5 million in resources after the Trump administration cut $11.4 billion in state health funding this March. Investigators now wait six to eight weeks to interview patients—too long for reliable food-recall leads. The CDC's own tracking lags six weeks behind, compounding delays when labs are already stretched thin.