The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have quietly reduced the pathogens it monitors under the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) from eight to two, NBC reports.

FoodNet, which is a collaboration between CDC, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and 10 state health departments, previously tracked infections caused by campylobacter, cyclospora, listeria, salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, shigella, vibrio and Yersinia. 

As of July, the network only requires monitoring for salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, but the participating health departments can continue to track the other pathogens on their own.

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NBC reports a list of talking points provided to the Connecticut Public Health Department notes “funding has not kept pace with the resources required to maintain the continuation of FoodNet surveillance for all eight pathogens.”

“Although FoodNet will narrow its focus to Salmonella and STEC, it will maintain both its infrastructure and the quality it has come to represent,” the CDC told NBC. “Narrowing FoodNet’s reporting requirements and associated activities will allow FoodNet staff to prioritize core activities.”

The CDC spokesperson also told NBC other national initiatives conduct surveillance for the six excluded pathogens, such as the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System and the CDC’s Listeria Initiative.

Launched in 1995, FoodNet includes health departments in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee and selected counties in California and New York, covering 16% of the U.S. population.

The FoodNet website still lists all eight pathogens as surveillance targets.