NEW YORK — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has remained notably absent during the current hantavirus outbreak, which is affecting Americans and attracting global attention. Unlike its usual swift response, there has been no immediate deployment of disease investigators, public briefings, or urgent health advisories to medical professionals.
While President Donald Trump assured the public that the situation is “under very good control,” experts have noted that the outbreak aboard a cruise ship has not escalated because hantavirus, unlike COVID-19, measles, or the flu, does not spread easily. It has mainly been international health experts managing the outbreak over the past week.
Lawrence Gostin, a global health expert from Georgetown University, remarked, “The CDC is not even a player. I’ve never seen that before.” The CDC’s response only accelerated on Friday.
Officials confirmed that a CDC team was dispatched to Spain’s Canary Islands to meet American passengers on the cruise ship expected to dock on Sunday. Another team is headed to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska to facilitate the evacuation of American passengers to a quarantine center at the University of Nebraska for evaluation and monitoring. The CDC also published its first health alert to U.S. doctors, highlighting the potential for imported cases.
During their initial briefing held via telephone for select reporters on Saturday, officials promised transparency in public updates. However, they imposed anonymity on the speakers as per guidelines from aides to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. There was no clear answer regarding whether Americans could leave the university medical facility at will.
This reduced involvement of the CDC suggests a waning influence in both international and domestic health matters, according to some experts. Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, CEO of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, called the hantavirus outbreak “a sentinel event” indicating the country’s unpreparedness for disease threats.
How the outbreak unfolded
Last month, a 70-year-old Dutch man fell ill during a cruise from Argentina to Antarctica and died within a week. His wife and a German woman, who also became sick, later died. On May 2, hantavirus was identified as the cause, prompting the World Health Organization to declare it an outbreak by Monday. Approximately 24 Americans were on board, with seven disembarking earlier and 17 remaining on the ship.
It’s WHO taking center stage
Historically, the CDC has collaborated with the WHO in addressing such situations, offering expertise to control outbreaks and inform the public. This partnership earned the CDC its reputation as a leading public health agency.
However, the WHO has taken the lead in this instance, assessing the situation and determining that it does not pose a pandemic threat.
Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University, commented, “I don’t think this is a giant threat to the United States,” but added that the situation highlights the current ineffectiveness of the CDC.
Tumult under Trump
Over the past 16 months, the Trump administration has withdrawn from the WHO, restricted CDC scientists from communicating with international peers, and initiated its own international public health network via bilateral agreements. This period also saw the layoff of thousands of CDC scientists and public health professionals, including ship sanitation staff.
Amid these developments, Kennedy stated his intent to refocus the CDC on infectious diseases, invest in innovation, and rebuild trust through integrity and transparency.
Waiting to hear from the CDC
While not entirely silent, the CDC issued a brief statement on Wednesday, noting that the risk to the American public is “extremely low” and touting the U.S. as a leader in global health security.
Nuzzo criticized this communication, stating, “Not only was that not helpful, it actually does damage because a core principle of public health communications is humility.”
CDC acting director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya shared on social media that the agency is coordinating efforts with federal agencies and international authorities. Arizona officials confirmed that a symptom-free American from the ship had returned to the state. WHO officials noted that the CDC has shared technical information.
The CDC is also monitoring the health status and preparing support for American passengers on the cruise, Bhattacharya mentioned. However, federal health officials have largely avoided interviews. Bhattacharya’s first on-camera appearance came on a Fox News program, where he reassured the public but misstated details about the outbreak.
He incorrectly reported that two passengers in their 80s died from the virus after bird-watching in Argentina. In reality, the victims were a 70-year-old Dutch man and his 69-year-old wife, and it remains unconfirmed whether they contracted the virus during bird-watching.
COVID-19 comparison
Some experts have compared the current situation to the 2020 Diamond Princess cruise ship incident in Japan, one of the first major COVID-19 outbreaks outside China. The CDC was actively involved, sending personnel, helping with evacuations, running quarantines, and sharing virus data, which became a global reference for cruise ship COVID transmission, according to Dr. Tom Frieden, a former CDC director.
While some aspects of the Diamond Princess response were criticized, experts assert it wasn’t due to a lack of effort from the CDC.
Gostin pointed out, “The CDC was right on top of it, very visible, very active in trying to manage and contain it,” contrasting with the delayed and subdued response now.
Instead of leveraging a global network through WHO, the Trump administration has opted for bilateral health agreements with individual nations, aiming for information sharing and public health support, promoting “innovative American technologies.” However, Gostin warns this approach is insufficient for addressing global health crises.
— Mike Stobbe
Associated Press writers Ali Swenson in New York, Darlene Superville in Washington, and Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.
