The outbreak of cyclosporiasis has highlighted “vulnerabilities” in food safety systems in the U.S., says Barbara Kowalcyk, an associate professor at George Washington University and director of the school’s Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security. “What’s surprising to me is the magnitude of it, and how it highlights all these system vulnerabilities,” Kowalcyk told The Guardian. This outbreak has come at a time of significant strain on U.S. state and federal health departments. The administration of Donald Trump initiated major cuts to public health in 2025, and the CDC lost between 25 and 30% of staff. Within the CDC, a specialized parasitic disease team was downsized from 11 people to just three.