Health
Hantavirus Response Shows How Trump Cuts Have Compromised U.S. Preparedness
On April 24, nearly two weeks after the first person aboard a cruise ship died of hantavirus, 30 passengers, including six Americans, disembarked in St. Helena, a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Americans are now back on U.S. soil, and three states are monitoring them; none have shown symptoms so far. That information came on Wednesday — not from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or from the State Department, which is coordinating the nation’s response to the hantavirus outbreak, but from the medical news publication MedPage Today. (The New York Times confirmed the report with state officials.)
More than four hours after the news emerged, the C.D.C. issued its first public statement about the outbreak, saying, “We are working closely with our international partners to provide technical assistance and guidance to mitigate risk.” It did not mention the Americans who were back in the country or efforts to monitor them.
It was only a day earlier, on Tuesday, that the agency had set up a team to respond to the outbreak, nearly a month after the first patient had died.
To some public health experts, the alarming thing about this situation is not the hantavirus, which they note spreads among people rarely, and only with close contact over a period of time rather than casual interactions. It is that the administration’s sluggish response and lack of communication suggest the United States is ill prepared for a larger health crisis, such as another pandemic.
“We should be able to deal collectively with a hantavirus outbreak much more quickly and effectively than this is happening,” said Stephanie Psaki, the coordinator for global health security during the Biden administration.
“An outbreak of a known pathogen on a cruise ship is a relatively easy scenario,” she said. “It can get much harder than this.”
Because of deep staffing cuts the Trump administration has made to the C.D.C. and other health agencies, the government has far fewer people to respond to outbreaks, from trainees and contractors who can be deployed to do boots-on-the-ground epidemiology to senior leaders who can coordinate responses across the U.S. government and elsewhere. And because President Trump withdrew the country from the World Health Organization, the United States does not receive regular information from member states about emerging health threats.
The State Department did not respond to questions about plans to repatriate the 17 Americans still on board the ship or to monitor those already back home. “We are closely tracking reports of the suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean and are in close contact with the cruise ship and U.S. and international health authorities,” the department said in an emailed statement.
It directed questions about quarantining the passengers to the C.D.C. The Health and Human Services Department, which manages communications from the agency, also did not respond to questions about repatriation or quarantine.
The first patient aboard MV Hondius, a Dutch cruise ship, was an older man who developed fever, headache and mild diarrhea on April 6. He died of respiratory distress five days later, but his body stayed on the vessel till April 24. The second patient, a close contact, died on April 26 and a third on May 2. As of Thursday, five other people have symptoms resembling those of hantavirus infection.
South African scientists identified hantavirus as the cause of the illnesses on May 2. But if the U.S. government had been more involved, “things could have happened more quickly at every step along the way,” Dr. Psaki said.
The World Health Organization was notified of the cluster of illnesses via International Health Regulations, a legal framework that requires member countries to disclose outbreaks. After the Trump administration withdrew from the W.H.O. in January 2025, it rejected the latest regulations that July. As a result, the United States is not privy to many of the conversations between member states.
Even if the C.D.C. and the W.H.O. are talking now, “what you want is to have an ongoing dialogue,” said Dr. Daniel Jernigan, who ran the C.D.C.’s emerging disease center before resigning in August in protest of the administration’s handling of the agency.
“C.D.C. is not a part of that routine engagement,” he said. “And therefore when something emerges, we’re not going to get that call immediately.”
The agency’s delay in setting up a team to respond to the outbreak is worrying, infectious disease experts said. Ideally, the risk to Americans should be assessed and communicated to health agencies and the public as soon as a threat emerges, usually within 24 to 48 hours, Dr. Psaki said.
“The point is early decision making, proactive plans to protect Americans, and people with outbreak response expertise in the lead,” she added.
Unless the administration fills crucial leadership roles focused on infectious disease threats, it is likely to be hamstrung when bigger threats come along, she and others said.
“Leaders with convening power and influence are key,” said Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, chief executive of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Dr. Marrazzo directed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases but was fired after filing a whistle-blower complaint against the Trump administration.
“They can work from the White House to the H.H.S. agencies to industry and academic partners to be sure there is a coordinated effort to galvanize the response,” she added. “We don’t have that right now.”
Dr. Psaki’s former role, created by Congress in 2023 to oversee preparedness to biological threats, is vacant. The White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, established by Congress in 2022, is also unstaffed — fulfilling in spirit, if not in fact, President Trump’s threat during his campaign to shut it down.
In February 2025, the administration appointed Gerald Parker, a former commander of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, to lead the biosecurity and pandemic response directorate within the National Security Council. But he resigned less than six months into the job, and has not been replaced.
The White House did not respond to questions about those roles.
Last year, alongside massive cuts to research on mRNA and other vaccines, the Trump administration shuttered a network of research centers focused on preventing pandemics by studying pathogens like hantavirus that can jump from animals to people.
In its 2026 budget request, the administration said it planned to refocus the C.D.C. on outbreak investigations and preparedness. But at the same time, it proposed eliminating about $750 million in preparedness grants that states rely on to cope with natural and man-made disasters including outbreaks. It also zeroed funding for the Hospital Preparedness Program, which strengthens health care systems to respond to emergencies, saying the program “has been wasteful and unfocused.”
Nearly all of the C.D.C.’s center directors were appointed recently or are serving in an acting capacity. The agency has also lost the heads of several important divisions, including the Division of High-Consequence Pathogens — which includes hantavirus — who now works for the New Zealand government.
“You don’t have the captains and admirals in order to run a big, big response,” Dr. Jernigan said. The agency has also added layers of bureaucracy to get travel approved for scientists who might need to investigate outbreaks, he said.
The layoffs largely spared other staff from the agency’s infectious disease centers. But because of a hiring freeze, the agency has not renewed contracts for Title 42 workers, a category that includes scientists hired for specialized roles. It has also let go of younger fellows, including in a program called ORISE, who could be deployed for various tasks, including testing at air or seaports.
The thinning numbers have shrunk the number of qualified scientists who can assist states with testing and management of dangerous pathogens. By July, the C.D.C.’s rabies team will be down to just one person with the clinical expertise to advise state and local officials, and the pox virus team will have none.
The administration twice fired, then brought back, the C.D.C.’s vaunted “disease detectives,” Epidemic Intelligence Service fellows who conduct outbreak investigations. Many of the reinstated fellows have left the agency for other jobs, and applications for the incoming class are roughly 20 percent of what they would be by this time, according to data shared at a recent conference of the fellows.
The effects of the Trump administration’s cuts to infectious disease research are also being felt more globally. South Africa has the capacity to sequence the hantavirus at least in part because of investments prior administrations made through the President’s Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief, Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease expert at Emory University, told reporters on Thursday.
But the Trump administration has decimated the research system in South Africa and is pulling back support for PEPFAR.
“I worry that as we disinvest in global health, we’re losing our capacity, our global capacity, to deal with diseases,” Dr. Del Rio said.
Tulio de Oliveira, director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, said the W.H.O.’s advisory group on viruses with pandemic potential would meet on Monday to discuss the latest findings on the hantavirus.
The group includes about two dozen experts from various countries including Brazil, Britain, India and the Netherlands. It does not include anyone from the C.D.C.
“Especially at the moment, it doesn’t seem that the C.D.C. is very functional,” he said.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Washington, DC – GLP-1 weight-loss drugs have become a prevalent part of American healthcare, and the current administration is getting behind the movement.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital at the Great American State Fair in the nation’s capital on July 6, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz voiced his support for the use of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) medications, such as Ozempic, for appropriate uses.
“I’m a fan of GLP-1 drugs when used correctly,” he said. “They do help people who are overweight lose weight quite effectively. They’re not a replacement for diet and exercise, but they might jumpstart the system so it’s easier for you to use healthier tactics.”
DR OZ WARNS MEDICARE SCAMMERS ARE STEALING BILLIONS — AND YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION COULD BE NEXT
This is especially helpful for those who may have trouble moving due to joint pain or are experiencing internal dysfunction, Oz said.
Certain GLP-1 drugs are covered by Medicare for overweight candidates with certain conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, and Oz projected the benefits will continue to benefit taxpayers.
Dr. Mehmet Oz is pictured in Washington, D.C., at the Great American State Fair, where he spoke about federal health policy. (Angelica Stabile/Fox News Digital)
“We believe these are so effective in reducing conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes that they’ll actually save money for the federal taxpayer, because [they’re] going to make you healthy enough that you don’t have to consume health services,” Oz said.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“We think about 70% of all the money we spend on healthcare is caused by chronic conditions, and obesity is the No. 1 driver of all that, so it’s a smart decision.”
Oz recently announced the launch of the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program, which will allow more seniors to access GLP-1 drugs for only $50 a month if they meet qualifying health criteria and receive prior authorization from a doctor.
The doctor expressed support for broadening affordable access to GLP-1 medications for Americans. (iStock)
“There are a lot of overweight people who don’t have high blood pressure, diabetes or other conditions, so they don’t get access to the drug normally,” he said. “We want them to have the ability to use it as well.”
Although these access shifts could boost Americans’ overall health — and in some cases could be lifesaving — Oz noted that there is “no silver bullet” when it comes to these medications.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“I love the fact that the innovation that’s coming out of pharmaceutical companies is allowing us to save lives and make lives better,” he said. “But the real secret to longevity is eating right, exercising, sleeping, dealing with the stress of your life, finding some purpose in your existence [and] realizing you have agency over the future.”
“These are things that your mom would have told you [and that] you don’t need a doctor to be emphasizing.”
Medicating appropriately, combined with eating right, exercising and staying connected with others, can help make health goals attainable, the doctor said. (iStock)
While GLP-1s may not be a fix-all, combining these medications with foundational health practices “makes a lot of sense,” Oz said.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“I don’t want people being fat-shamed … I don’t want you feeling guilty that you’re gaining weight even though everyone else around you seems to have figured it out,” he said. “It’s not that simple — our set points for hunger are different. We have different things going on in our lives.”
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
“But if you realize how precious you are — the temple of the soul is so valuable. It’s the greatest gift your parents ever gave you, and you take advantage of every tool out there to make it work … which includes using medications when appropriate. That, to me, is MAHA.”
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Amid warnings of a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, health experts say that early recognition of symptoms can mean the difference between a quick recovery and life-threatening complications, especially for high-risk groups.
New York City health officials are urging anyone who has visited the east side of Central Park or Manhattan’s Upper East Side since late June to watch for symptoms.
As of July 6, the New York City Health Department had confirmed 23 cases and 17 hospitalizations associated with the respiratory infection. No deaths have been reported.
NYC HEALTH OFFICIALS WARN OF LEGIONNAIRES’ DISEASE OUTBREAK IN CENTRAL PARK AREA
Officials are investigating contaminated cooling towers as the likely source. They have emphasized that the illness is not spread person-to-person and is not linked to the city’s drinking water.
Health experts say that early recognition of symptoms can mean the difference between a quick recovery and life-threatening complications, especially for high-risk groups. (iStock)
“Legionnaires’ disease is deadly but can be effectively treated if diagnosed early,” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin in a press release. “New Yorkers at higher risk, including anyone who is 50 and older, those who smoke or people with chronic lung conditions should be especially mindful of their symptoms and seek care as soon as symptoms begin.”
What is Legionnaires’?
Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria.
The bacteria is usually found in lakes, streams and other freshwater environments, but can grow in any area where water sits for a long time, according to the CDC.
RARE TICK-BORNE VIRUS TURNS DEADLY FAST AS US CASES REACH RECORD HIGH, EXPERTS WARN
That can include shower heads, sink faucets, hot tubs, water features/fountains, plumbing systems and other water systems.
When people swallow or breathe in droplets of water that contain Legionella, they can potentially become ill.
Although human transmission is possible in rare cases, the disease is not typically transmitted among people, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms of infection
Infections can lead to severe pneumonia in older people and those with compromised immune systems, according to Dr. Andrew Handel, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital on Long Island, New York.
Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease usually show up between two and 14 days after exposure.
New York City health officials are urging anyone who has visited the east side of Central Park or Manhattan’s Upper East Side since late June to watch for symptoms. (iStock)
“Legionella infections cause symptoms that are similar to other forms of pneumonia — fever, coughing, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and chest pain,” Handel previously told Fox News Digital.
“Legionnaires’ disease is deadly but can be effectively treated if diagnosed early.”
The signs are similar to other types of pneumonia, and include the following:
- Cough
- Fever
- Shortness of breath
- Muscle aches and headaches
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Some patients may also experience nausea, diarrhea and confusion, the CDC noted.
Diagnosis, treatment and prevention
A medical professional can diagnose the infection with laboratory tests and chest X-rays.
The condition is typically treated with antibiotics. In cases of severe infection, hospitalization may be required for breathing support and IV hydration.
Around 10% of people who contract Legionnaires’ disease will die from those complications — and the mortality risk rises to 25% for those who get Legionnaires’ while staying in a healthcare facility, according to the CDC.
The bacteria is usually found in lakes, streams and other freshwater environments, but can grow in any area where water sits for a long time, according to the CDC. (iStock)
“Treatment needs to be early and aggressive,” Dr. Nathan Goodyear, an Arizona-based integrative medicine expert, previously told Fox News Digital. “Legionella infection is an intracellular infection that requires antibiotic treatment.”
Antibiotics that are appropriate for Legionella infection include Levofloxacin and Azithromycin.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“Therapy can be prescribed orally in healthy individuals… but intravenous antibiotics often prove to be the initial option for treatment secondary to the pathogenicity of the disease,” Goodyear said.
Currently, there are no vaccines for Legionnaires’ disease.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
The best strategy to prevent infection is to reduce the growth and spread of the Legionella bacteria. The CDC recommends that building owners and managers use a water management program to reduce the risk.
“New Yorkers at higher risk, including anyone who is 50 and older, those who smoke or people with chronic lung conditions should be especially mindful of their symptoms and seek care as soon as symptoms begin,” city officials stated. (iStock)
To prevent serious illness from Legionnaires’, Goodyear recommends that all smokers kick the habit, and also emphasizes the need to “aggressively support” chronic pulmonary disease.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“Increasing immune support (vitamin D3, vitamin C, Zinc) is required to counter the immune dysfunction associated with advancing age.”
Obesity is another foundational risk factor for all chronic inflammatory diseases, the doctor added.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
ONE WALKING HABIT COULD SIGNAL A HEALTHIER BRAIN AFTER 80, SCIENTISTS SAY
The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
WOMAN WITH ADVANCED ALZHEIMER’S REGAINED SPEECH AND MEMORIES AFTER TAKING MAGIC MUSHROOMS
At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
-
New Hampshire24 seconds agoTrans athletes drop lawsuit to gain access to girls’ sports in New Hampshire after SCOTUS ruling
-
New Jersey6 minutes agoFamily describes frantic moments delivering baby on the NJ Turnpike
-
New Mexico13 minutes agoHidden gem in Cloudcroft, New Mexico has best BBQ in US
-
North Carolina16 minutes agoNorth Carolina Airport Looks to Expand Commercial Service | AirlineGeeks.com
-
North Dakota21 minutes agoSan Francisco plots risky socialist bank modeled after controversial experiment
-
Ohio28 minutes agoFeeling itchy? Ohio leads nation with 6 cities on Orkin’s 2026 bed bug list
-
Oklahoma31 minutes agoOklahoma’s Brent Venables named to 2026 Dodd Trophy Preseason watch list
-
Oregon36 minutes agoRyan Reynolds-backed Aviation Gin shutters Oregon distillery
