Jennifer Nuzzo

The U.S. public health system is under strain from multiple disease outbreaks, including measles and hantavirus, attributed to factors like vaccine resistance and funding cuts. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s policies and vaccine misinformation are cited as exacerbating the crisis, while environmental changes and animal disease spread further complicate containment efforts.

The US public health system faces challenges from a surge in infectious diseases like measles, hantavirus, and West Nile virus, linked to vaccine resistance and funding cuts. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s policies, including reducing public health resources and spreading vaccine misinformation, have worsened the situation.

The US public health system faces challenges from a surge in infectious diseases like measles, hantavirus, and West Nile virus amid funding cuts and vaccine resistance. Public health experts attribute the rise to policy changes and misinformation, including claims by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which have weakened the safety net for disease prevention.

The U.S. public health system faces challenges from surging diseases like measles and hantavirus, linked to vaccine resistance and funding cuts. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s policies and vaccine misinformation have exacerbated outbreaks, according to public health experts.

A new CDC analysis warns the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa could reach 20,000 cases without effective public health measures, mirroring the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic. Confirmed cases currently stand at 400 with 63 deaths, but experts suggest underreporting. The outbreak is complicated by armed conflict and displacement in the region.

The CDC warns the Central Africa Ebola outbreak could reach 20,000 cases without strong public health measures, with modeling suggesting a worst-case scenario approaching the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic. Current confirmed cases are 400 with 63 deaths, but experts note underreporting. The outbreak is complicated by armed conflict in Congo, and there are no specific treatments or vaccines for the Bundibugyo virus.

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has spread to Uganda, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a public-health emergency. The U.S., having officially withdrawn from the WHO in January, is absent from the core international response, delaying its involvement and reducing the effectiveness of its aid efforts.

The current Ebola outbreak has been identified as the rare Bundibugyo strain with no vaccine, and health officials are worried about containing its spread. Thirty cases have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and two confirmed cases have been recorded in Uganda. The World Health Organization has deemed the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.