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Cyclospora cayetanensis, the unicellular parasite that causes an intestinal infection called cyclosporiasis. Photograph: CDC
Cyclospora cayetanensis, the unicellular parasite that causes an intestinal infection called cyclosporiasis. Photograph: CDC
Former top US food safety official says US mismanagement of cyclospora is approaching ‘a catastrophic level’
Frank Yiannas, formerly of the FDA, calls for an independent review of federal response to illness causing explosive diarrhea
Donald Trump’s former top food safety official has accused the administration of a near “catastrophic” mismanagement of the cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands of people in the US.
There should be an independent review of the federal government’s response to the rash of illnesses caused by the spread of a parasite found on raw produce, according to Frank Yiannas, who was deputy commissioner for food policy at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) across the presidencies of both Trump and Joe Biden from 2018 to 2023.
“This one deserves a lot of questions, and it is starting to approach a catastrophic level in terms of how mismanaged it’s been on multiple fronts,” Yiannas told Politico.
Yiannas said there has been widespread public confusion about cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, also known as cyclospora, that can cause explosive diarrhea. This has been compounded by a “lack of strong federal leadership” and mixed messages from federal agencies, he added.
The chaotic response to cyclospora, which has sickened more than 4,000 people in the US with thousands more thought to have also been affected, has been highlighted by the attempts to identify and halt the source of the outbreak.
The FDA identified lettuce from Taylor Farms, a supplier to Taco Bell, as being linked to the outbreak, only to then backtrack. Taylor Farms has said that the FDA apologized to the company for this, a claim that the FDA has denied.
The federal food regulator still maintains there is strong evidence connecting Taylor Farms, which has recalled its lettuce, to the outbreak. Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, said last week the outbreak was “under control”, even as the FDA expanded its investigation into 7,400 potential cases across nine states.
“They just went too fast and they made a mistake,” Yiannas said of the FDA. “They should share more about how and why it happened and what they’ll do to prevent it in the future.”
A review of the government’s response should have congressional oversight or be done via an independent inspector, Yiannas said. The FDA has not immediately responded to this call for an investigation of its actions.
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