Canadians travelling to the United States should take precautions with food, but there’s no need to panic over an outbreak of the diarrhea-causing illness cyclosporiasis, says an infectious diseases physician. “Canadians should be aware, but not alarmed,” Dr. Donald Vinh, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at McGill University in Montreal, told CTV News Channel on Thursday. “The purpose is not to discourage travel, and it is not to discourage healthy consumption of fruits and vegetables. It’s to help people reduce avoidable exposures.” Vinh says travellers should be vigilant when it comes to food and water, and watch for symptoms that would trigger medical attention. Vinh made the remarks in response to the federal government recently updating its U.S. travel advisory with a health warning for cyclosporiasis. Thousands of suspected infections in numerous U.S. states have been tied to tainted lettuce. A few dozen cases were reported in Canada this year, but health officials aren’t monitoring domestic outbreaks. Most stomach viral infections typically go away after a few days, Vinh said, but if diarrhea lasts more than a week, seek medical care. Cyclosporiasis may also return, even if it first appears that someone has recovered from it, he added. U.S. cuts impact food safety: doctor Dr. Gerald Evans, a professor at Queen’s University and a physician in infectious diseases at Kingston Health Sciences Centre, said despite U.S. reports of tainted lettuce, the source of the outbreak still hasn’t been confirmed, and the outbreak highlights a larger concern about food safety. “This is really, I think, unfortunately an example of what happens when you drastically cut back food inspection and surveillance networks,” Evans told CTV News Channel in an interview on Thursday, referring to the cuts by the U.S. government affecting food safety measures. The Trump administration eliminated about 20,000 jobs from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Reuters reported in May 2025. Those departments perform key roles in food safety, with the FDA regulating most of the U.S. food supply, and the CDC helping to investigate foodborne-illness outbreaks. The cuts resulted in suspending several FDA quality control programs, including for vegetables and cheese, Reuters reported. Before the cutbacks, Evans said the U.S. had a “very strong surveillance network” for cyclosporiasis and other gastrointestinal illnesses. But now, Evans said Canada has a better food safety system than its southern neighbour. However, Canadian health experts raised concerns last year about the U.S. job cuts potentially hindering the flow of information on food safety, as Canadian agencies have traditionally collaborated closely with regulators in the U.S. With files from CTV News’ Spencer Van Dyk, Annie Burns-Pieper and Reuters
