@jolyonThe Trump admin is shuttering research projects designed to eliminate cyclospora just as the CDC reports over 17,000 Americans have been sickened by the parasite this summer. While that specific outbreak cannot be stopped now, cutting funding for these studies removes a tool scientists need to identify causes faster or prevent future episodes entirely. The difficulty lies in the nature of the pathogen itself; cyclospora is a foodborne illness where samples must be retrieved from human feces, making lab work challenging and slow. Politico's Marie notes that losing this capability while thousands are already ill makes the situation sound terrible.

@jolyonThe Trump admin is shuttering research projects designed to eliminate cyclospora just as the CDC reports over 17,000 Americans have been sickened by the parasite this summer. While that specific outbreak cannot be stopped now, cutting funding for these studies removes a tool scientists need to identify causes faster or prevent future episodes entirely. The difficulty lies in the nature of the pathogen itself; cyclospora is a foodborne illness where samples must be retrieved from human feces, making lab work challenging and slow. Politico's Marie notes that losing this capability while thousands are already ill makes the situation sound terrible.