RFK Jr. says: The outbreak is under control

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday that the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak is “under control.”

“We have identified the source of the outbreak, and the companies involved have implemented a recall,” Kennedy said in response to questions during a press conference about health care fraud.

The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, both under Kennedy as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, have faced criticism for their response to the outbreak. Critics have criticized federal agencies for delaying in alerting the public and tracking down the source of the outbreak, which the agencies detected. Bound with shredded iceberg lettuce from central Mexico that is supplied by production giant Taylor Farms.

Some have claimed that agency cuts by the Trump administration have hampered the investigation, although the Cyclospora parasite itself presents challenges due to its long incubation period.

“Those criticisms are invalid,” Kennedy said during the press conference in response to a question regarding criticism of job cuts under his leadership. “We didn’t have any cuts to the monitoring program. We had cuts to the FoodNet program, but they were for redundant monitoring.”

FoodNet, or Foodborne Disease Active Surveillance Network, stopped mandatory reporting for six of eight pathogens — including Cyclospora — last year due to funding cuts. The organization is a partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, 10 state health departments and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The US Food and Drug Administration has concluded that the current Cyclospora outbreak is linked to iceberg lettuce, which was providing some Yum brands“Taco Bell. Taylor Farms has recalled products linked to the outbreak, while Taco Bell has pulled them from its restaurants.

However, FDA communications about a false positive test for Cyclospora in a sample of Taylor Farms lettuce during its investigation sparked confusion, prompting the agency to issue a clarification on Monday. She said she still suspects the company’s iceberg lettuce is the source of the outbreak.

The CDC, Food and Drug Administration and public health officials in multiple states are investigating the outbreak, with the illnesses first appearing on May 13. To date, more than 1,644 cases have been reported, with 94 hospitalizations and no deaths, according to the CDC.