Government Neglect Endangers Pandemic Prevention
The United States is currently facing multiple major infectious disease outbreaks, including measles, listeria, and hepatitis A and C. The closure of the CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis lab, due to budget cuts, has severely hampered outbreak investigations across several states, as this specialized genetic tracing is not performed anywhere else. This lack of testing capacity increases the risk of further viral spread and delayed identification of outbreaks. Experts warn that this situation poses a significant threat to public health. The lab’s closure highlights the vulnerability of critical public health infrastructure to funding decisions.
John Q. Hosedrinker