Dear MoveOn member,
A parasite outbreak is spreading across the country, and the tracking system that's supposed to catch it early has been quietly dismantled by the Trump administration.
At least 34 states are now investigating an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis that causes frequent and sometimes explosive diarrhea that can last for weeks. As of now, there have been a shocking 4,173 confirmed cases—compared to 249 around this time last year.
Will you sign the petition telling the CDC and the Trump administration to resume full mandatory tracking of cyclospora and other foodborne illnesses now?
This surge is happening right as our ability to monitor the infection has been gutted. Last year, the Trump administration made cyclospora surveillance optional through FoodNet—a partnership between the CDC, the USDA, the FDA, and 10 state health departments that had mandated tracking of the parasite since 1997.1 This is just another example of how Trump and RFK Jr.'s leadership is failing us.
With more and more food recalls, parasite outbreaks, and vaccine-preventable disease resurgences: it's clear that the Trump administration does not care about our health.
FoodNet gives health officials the data they need to spot outbreaks early, understand their scope, and respond before they spiral. Cyclospora surveillance was part of that system for nearly three decades—until the Trump administration decided otherwise.
The consequences are playing out right before our eyes.
Tell the CDC and the Trump administration: Restore mandatory tracking of cyclospora and other foodborne illnesses now!
These changes to FoodNet didn't happen in a vacuum. Thanks to Trump and Elon Musk, more than 3,000 public health workers have left the CDC through firings, forced retirements, and attrition—roughly a quarter of its workforce gone by the end of last year.2 Without adequate staff, the CDC isn’t able to fund, resource, or advise state and local health departments trying to track the source of an outbreak.
Add your name to tell the CDC and the Trump administration to restore mandatory tracking of cyclospora and other foodborne illnesses.
Cutting surveillance and staff doesn't save meaningful money. It just means outbreaks spread and worsen before anyone catches them.
Trump has also wreaked havoc on our food safety infrastructure. He dissolved the USDA's National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods, which was established in 1988 to coordinate best practices for defending against dangerous microbes. The agency's National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection was also axed.3
By dismantling the food safety and public health systems designed to keep us safe, the Trump administration has caused one of the worst diarrhea crises in recent history.
As Robert B. Shpiner, a clinical professor of medicine at UCLA, put it: "What a health system does not measure can spread in plain sight, and by the time the measurement catches up, the argument is no longer about prevention."4
Sign the petition to demand the full, mandatory surveillance of cyclospora to keep us safe.
Thanks for all you do.
–Alexis, AD, Isbah, Aliya, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Rollins on cyclosporiasis: 'It is an FDA issue, not USDA,'" The Hill, July 15, 2026
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5969544-agriculture-sec-rollins-on-cyclosporiasis-its-an-fda-issue-not-a-usda-issue/
2. "After firings, funding cuts, and a shooting, can a demoralized CDC workforce recover?," NPR, March 13, 2026
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/13/nx-s1-5742530/cdc-atlanta-firings-funding-cuts-shooting-public-health
3. "How Donald Trump Created the Worst Diarrhea Outbreak This Century," The American Prospect, July 16, 2026
https://prospect.org/2026/07/16/how-donald-trump-created-worst-diarrhea-outbreak-cyclosporiasis-food-safety/
4. "Cyclospora is easy for doctors to miss. The US made it even harder to spot," The Guardian, July 16, 2026
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/16/diarrhea-outbreak-cyclospora-parasite-cdc
You're receiving this petition because we thought it might interest you. It was created on MoveOn.org, where anyone can start their own online petitions. You can start your own petition here.
Want to support MoveOn's work? Donald Trump’s authoritarian takeover intensifies every day—but history shows that authoritarian regimes crumble when just 3.5% of people rise up together in sustained resistance. That’s why MoveOn is helping mobilize millions, from massive No Kings protests to our nonstop work to get ICE out of our neighborhoods. This moment demands mass, disciplined, people-powered resistance, and MoveOn can reach, train, and organize at a scale unmatched in the progressive movement. Will you chip in to fuel this urgent and critical organizing?
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Donate: $5 monthly
Donate: $15 monthly
Donate: $50 monthly
Donate another amount monthly
Or make a one-time gift
Contributions to MoveOn Civic Action are not tax-deductible for income tax purposes. MoveOn.org Civic Action - PO Box 96141, Washington, D.C. 20090-6141. ActBlue Civics Inc. is the merchant of record for all transactions made to MoveOn Civic Action using the ActBlue platform. ActBlue Civics Inc. receives and processes these donations before disbursing them to MoveOn Civic Action within 30 days of receipt.
This email was sent to Cassandra Hubbell on July 22, 2026. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. MoveOn's privacy policy was recently updated. To read our new privacy policy, click here. To remove yourself from this list, unsubscribe.
