'Empty and vapid' CDC finally responds to hantavirus outbreak. But experts say it's too little, too late
Source: The Guardian
Sat 9 May 2026 16.11 EDT
Last modified on Sun 10 May 2026 03.01 EDT
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed it is sending a team to Spain’s Canary Islands, where the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius is expected to arrive on Sunday, and US passengers will be evacuated to an airbase in Nebraska. However, experts say the US is unprepared for such a disease threat.
The CDCs limited role in responding to the hantavirus outbreak is raising questions, including whether it now has a diminished role in responding to health scares. Most of the response has been led by the World Health Organization (WHO), of which the US is no longer a member.
The hantavirus outbreak was reported to the WHO on 2 May; a notice issued two days later updated to seven confirmed or suspected cases. Three people had died, one person was critically ill and three others had mild symptoms.
On Wednesday, the CDC said in a statement it was “closely monitoring the situation” and said the state department was leading a “whole-of-government response including direct contact with passengers, diplomatic coordination, and engagement with domestic and international health authorities”. It wasn’t until Thursday that the CDC activated its 24/7 emergency center in Atlanta to monitor the recent hantavirus outbreak and classified it at its lowest activation level.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/09/cdc-hantavirus-who-cruise-ship-outbreak-response
The brainworm host Secretary of Health and Human Services SHOULD BE the one leading a “"whole-of-government response'", NOT the Secretary of State. This is a HEALTH issue, NOT a diplomatic one.
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