Jay Bhattacharya wants you to think that the CDC is still responding well to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
As proof, he has posted that the CDC has mobilized hundreds of CDC-trained disease detectives!
How Is the CDC Responding to the DRC Ebola Outbreak?
That should be reassuring, right?
After all, the CDC disease detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) are famous for investigating and helping stop outbreaks since it was formed in 1951.
The thing is though, in addition to training disease detectives, the CDC used to actually send its disease detectives to help with these kinds of large outbreaks and epidemics.
And now, instead of those CDC disease detectives working to help control the DRC ebola outbreak, the CDC is relying on ‘hundreds of CDC-trained disease detectives.’
It is a much smaller response, despite it being a larger outbreak.
A smaller response without a publicly identified EIS deployment.
A smaller response without a publicly identified EIS deployment despite this being an intense Ebola outbreak that is spreading faster than previous outbreaks, with over 5,000 confirmed cases and nearly 2,400 deaths since May.
An outbreak that has spread to six DRC provinces and across the border into Uganda.
“I'm very concerned about the ability of the U.S. government, especially the CDC, to respond to emergencies like this. The CDC has been hollowed out.”
CDC says one American tested positive for Ebola in DRC
An outbreak that a hollowed-out CDC is not doing enough to help stop.
How hollowed out?
The CDC fired so many people that they had to ask for volunteers to screen passengers returning from Ebola hotspots. And sure, while they have mobilized staff to do enhanced screening in the past, there is no evidence that they had to ask for volunteers to fill the spots.
“The only complete and durable protection for Americans is an outbreak stopped in DRC.”
I led the U.S. CDC response to the 2014 Ebola epidemic. The new outbreak needs massive, immediate, meticulous action
What is there evidence for?
That our long-term investment in the CDC and EIS is being wasted…
More on Stopping Outbreaks
State and Federal Public Health Funding Cuts Are Making Measles Outbreaks Worse
Transcript - Update on Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, 5/22/2026
International Medical Corps is responding to Ebola in the DRC and neighboring countries
The CDC has zombie programs. Congress funds them, but few people are left to do the work
Whiplash at CDC as hundreds of employees are terminated, then reinstated