US disease outbreaks are surging while the government's ability to track them has been slashed — bad news for public health, food safety, and the cattle industry.

• A stomach parasite called cyclospora has caused a record outbreak, with cases in at least 34 states and dozens hospitalized after weeks of severe illness.
• The Trump administration stopped requiring active tracking of cyclospora and other foodborne bugs, so federal case counts lag far behind what states are reporting.
• The CDC has lost about a quarter of its staff, including expert "disease detectives," making it harder to find the source of the outbreak.
• A flesh-eating bacteria, a return of screwworm threatening Texas cattle, and a bad Ebola outbreak in Congo are all worsened by these cuts and by pulling US aid abroad.
• Texas estimates the screwworm outbreak alone could cost $1.8 billion, and beef prices are already high.

Outlook: The full damage from the cuts will take years to measure, with more outbreaks and rising food costs likely in the near term.