Empty and vapid' CDC finally responds to hantavirus outbreak. But experts say it's too little, too late

"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."

"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. Late on Friday the CDC issued its first health alert to US doctors, advising them of the possibility of imported cases after at least six American passengers disembarked at St Helena. The passengers are being monitored for hantavirus in several US states."

"At the CDC's first briefing, held on Saturday by telephone only for invited reporters, according to the Associated Press, officials pledged to be transparent in updating the public but said the media could not cite the speakers by name under guidelines issued by aides to the health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr. Dr Jay Bhattacharya, director of"

CDC confirmed it will send a team to Spain’s Canary Islands as the MV Hondius is expected to arrive, with US passengers evacuated to an airbase in Nebraska. Experts said the US is unprepared for this type of disease threat and questioned whether CDC’s role has diminished. WHO led most of the response after receiving the outbreak report on 2 May and updating case information two days later. CDC initially said it was closely monitoring and that the State Department led a whole-of-government response involving passenger contact, diplomatic coordination, and engagement with health authorities. CDC activated a 24/7 emergency center in Atlanta on Thursday at its lowest level and later issued a health alert to US doctors about possible imported cases after American passengers disembarked at St Helena. Passengers are being monitored across multiple US states.

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