Disease Threats

• Researchers have identified new threats of flesh-eating bacteria in summer waters, coinciding with a broader decline in public health oversight. • Dr. Jha warns that the Trump administration is dismantling critical policies and incentives intended to combat the nationwide chronic disease epidemic. • The U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization and the dismantling of USAID have weakened global health coordination, specifically impacting the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• The Trump administration has reduced funding for federal programs and agencies responsible for preventing, tracking, and responding to public health hazards. • These cuts target critical surveillance systems used to monitor disease trends and identify emerging pathogens. • Federal officials deny that these budget reductions put Americans at risk, claiming the CDC utilizes alternative national surveillance systems to maintain visibility.

• Emerging public health risks, including the spread of screwworm and flesh-eating bacteria, are increasing following deep budget cuts to federal health agencies under the Trump administration. • These funding reductions have targeted specific health programs, potentially limiting the ability of agencies to track and contain dangerous pathogens. • Federal officials have denied that these cuts put the public at risk, asserting that the CDC maintains visibility into disease trends through alternative national surveillance systems.