Michigan senator-elect vows to probe RFK Jr over lettuce outbreak

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 6 Nov, 03:51 · Archive

Michigan's newly elected senator Abdul El-Sayed said he plans to investigate Health Secretary RFK Jr over staffing cuts to health agencies during a cyclospora outbreak linked to lettuce.

Abdul El-Sayed, the progressive Democrat elected Michigan's next senator on Tuesday, said on Thursday that he plans to investigate Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr over staffing cuts to the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. El-Sayed argues these cuts left both agencies unprepared when a cyclospora outbreak spread through contaminated lettuce over the summer.

The parasite was traced to shredded iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico and served at Taco Bell locations in five states. Michigan was hit hardest, with more than 15,000 cases reported by late August. The CDC counted more than 20,000 lab-confirmed infections from all sources nationwide, making 2026 the worst year for the parasite on record. Taylor Farms de Mexico removed its entire central Mexico iceberg lettuce from the US market on 17 July.

El-Sayed said his investigation aims to understand what happened and hold people accountable. Kennedy said in July that the outbreak was 'under control' and dismissed claims that his cuts had hampered the response, stating that the surveillance programme had suffered no reductions.

How it is being reported

• Abdul El-Sayed wages war on RFK Jr over diarrhea lettuce parasite outbreak that he claims was caused by CDC staff-cutsOn Thursday, El-Sayed told CNN he plans to grill RFK Jr over staffing cuts to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Daily Mail · 5 Nov, 23:10
• Abdul El-Sayed vows to probe RFK Jr. over summer’s diarrhea lettuce outbreak"This is about understanding what happened, holding people accountable for what they did and then solving the problem moving forward."New York Post · 5 Nov, 19:18

In this story: Abdul El-Sayed · Robert F. Kennedy Jr · Michigan · Food and Drug Administration · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · Taylor Farms de Mexico · Mexico

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