The U.S. public health system has long been under strain, stymied by declines in funding as well as employees. And so state and local public health departments around the nation — tasked with monitoring and responding to disease outbreaks that threaten to sicken the masses — have relied on workers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help.
In February, the Trump administration abruptly fired many of them, a move that local and state officials said would undermine the nation’s continual effort to control the spread of infectious disease.
A few examples: Terminated CDC employees had helped prevent and respond to outbreaks such as dengue fever and the flu. They worked with local officials to quickly test for viruses — including Oropouche, an illness that doesn’t have a vaccine or effective treatment — and ensure that testing in public health labs complies with federal regulations. Others monitored potential cases of tuberculosis or provided health education to adolescents to prevent sexually transmitted infections
...
