Public health officials across the United States are raising alarms as recent outbreaks, including hantavirus, underscore a growing vulnerability in the nation’s ability to respond to infectious diseases. Following years of budget reductions and significant personnel attrition within key federal health agencies during the Trump administration, experts argue that the country’s frontline defense against pathogens has been substantially compromised.
The Erosion of Institutional Capacity
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its associated research arms have historically served as the gold standard for global outbreak response. However, fiscal shifts initiated in recent years have led to the departure of veteran scientists and
