WASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters) - The United States will identify the cause of autism by September, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on Thursday, setting a deadline for an answer that has eluded scientists for decades.

Autism diagnoses in the United States have increased significantly since 2000, intensifying public concern. By 2020, the U.S. autism rate in 8-year-olds was 1 in 36, or 2.77%, up from 2.27% in 2018 and 0.66% in 2000, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"At your direction, we are going to know by September. We've launched a massive testing and research effort that's going to involve hundreds of scientists from around the world," Kennedy said at a meeting of President Donald Trump's cabinet.

"By September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we'll be able to eliminate those exposures," Kennedy said.

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I'm putting this on my calendar!