The Trump administration is reportedly halting federal research on Cyclospora, a rare but serious foodborne parasite that causes a diarrheal illness known as cyclosporiasis, according to a report by Politico. This decision comes despite a record-breaking nationwide outbreak of the disease, with nearly 30,000 confirmed and probable cases reported this summer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has noted that at least 922 people have been hospitalized, and two have died from the illness. This is the largest Cyclospora outbreak ever recorded in the United States. The research being cut is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which has been conducting most of the nation's Cyclospora studies. Three major research programs are involved, but two have been defunded, and the third is set to lose all its scientists. The USDA is also closing its Beltsville Agricultural Research Center near Washington, D.C., and relocating its operations to Iowa. This includes the remaining Cyclospora research. However, insiders say none of the scientists working on the project plan to move to Iowa. Instead, they are either retiring, being reassigned, or leaving the USDA altogether. A USDA employee told Politico that the move will leave the agency without any parasitologists, creating a significant gap in expertise. Cyclospora is a challenging parasite to study in the laboratory compared to other foodborne pathogens like E. coli or Salmonella. Unlike these bacteria, Cyclospora can only grow and reproduce inside the human gut, making it difficult to culture in lab conditions. While it can be isolated from fecal samples, it is often shed intermittently or in low quantities, requiring multiple samples from infected individuals. This complicates efforts to study the parasite in detail. Additionally, Cyclospora has a much larger genome than bacteria, making genetic analysis more expensive and time-consuming. The parasite reproduces sexually, resulting in new genetic combinations with each generation. This genetic diversity makes it harder to trace back outbreaks to a specific contaminated food source. In contrast, bacteria like E. coli reproduce asexually, producing nearly identical clones that are easier to track. These challenges highlight the importance of continued research on Cyclospora, especially as the U.S. faces its largest outbreak to date.