Turmoil at the CDC Endangers Public Health

Sowing distrust in the science behind CDC guidance.

The turmoil roiling the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was on full view last Thursday at the Senate hearing convened to review the Trump administration’s health care agenda. The proceedings quickly descended into a shouting match as senators, both Republican and Democrat, challenged health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his policies and recent actions, particularly regarding vaccines and the firing of CDC director Susan Monarez. Kennedy defended his positions while attacking the agency, as he has done repeatedly, accusing its medical experts and scientists of corruption and collusion with the pharmaceutical industry.

In late August, Kennedy called Monarez into his office and pressured her to resign, a mere 29 days after appointing her. At the time of her appointment, Kennedy lauded Monarez as “a public health expert with unimpeachable scientific credentials,” stating that he had “full confidence in her ability.”

Photo credit: Shutterstock

According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Monarez was […]

2025-09-12T09:50:13-04:00September 12th, 2025|COVID-19, infection control, infectious diseases, Nursing, Public health|0 Comments
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Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases: A Comprehensive Nursing-Focused Overview

Virtually all of us who have spent time in the outdoors have either heard about or experienced an encounter with a tick. Diseases transmitted through the bite of a tick represent a growing health concern in the United States and around the world. Tick bites can affect individuals who live in, work in, or travel to wooded, grassy, or brush-filled environments. Ticks are generally more active during warmer months of the year (usually April through September), but they can be active any time the temperature is above freezing. Therefore, taking precautions can be close to a year-round activity, including an increased emphasis during vacation travel when the climate may differ from that of your usual environment. Nurses play an essential role in patient education, prevention, early recognition, clinical management, and public health surveillance of these diseases—and their credibility and trusted relationships enable impactful opportunities.

Adult deer tick, Ixodes scapularis/via Wikimedia Commons

The following summary outlines key facts about tick biology and transmission, clinical manifestations of major tickborne diseases [TBDs], prevention strategies, post-bite care, public health reporting, and updates on vaccines—particularly for domestic and international travelers.

Understanding ticks and disease transmission

Ticks are blood-feeding arachnids capable of transmitting pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, […]

2025-08-25T11:04:09-04:00August 25th, 2025|infection control, infectious diseases, Nursing, Public health|0 Comments
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A Tumultuous Seven Weeks for Public Health in the United States

Editor’s note: AJN news director Karen Roush, PhD, RN, FNP, will be providing regular updates on AJN Off the Charts about the details and implications of rapid and potentially momentous changes being made by the Trump administration to the public health system in the United States.

It’s been a tumultuous seven weeks since President Trump’s inauguration. Changes in leadership and priorities have swept across every federal department, bringing uncertainty and disruption. Trump signed more than 70 executive orders (EOs) in his first month in office, including orders to erase diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts from federal agencies and the military (EO 14151); limit the rights of transgender people and declare that only two “sexes,” biological males and females, would be recognized by the federal government (EO 14168); end birthright citizenship (EO 14160); and further limit access to abortion (EO 14182). Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, has fired tens of thousands of federal employees, dismantled entire agencies, including USAID, and pulled grant funding from universities, nongovernmental organizations, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The appointment of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to head HHS.

Many of the […]

2025-03-07T10:02:20-05:00March 7th, 2025|health care policy, infection control, infectious diseases, Nursing, Public health|0 Comments
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H5N1 Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) Update for Nurses and Other Health Providers

Influenza is a clever virus and one that deserves respect. Current concerns with the H5N1 avian influenza virus strain demonstrate why public health around the world continues to watch and monitor for impact on human health. Although the situation is not one that currently affects us on a day-to-day basis, it is important that we have a basic understanding of why this remains newsworthy.

Spread and evolution of H5N1.

Since its emergence, H5N1 has spread across multiple continents, affecting wild birds, poultry, and mammals. In late 2023, the virus was detected in Antarctica for the first time, raising concerns about its impact on native wildlife. By 2024, H5N1 had been reported in various regions, including Europe, Asia, and the Americas, leading to significant poultry losses and economic challenges.

In the United States, H5N1 has been detected in wild birds, poultry, and mammals across all 50 states. As of early 2025, nearly 70 human cases have been confirmed, primarily among individuals with direct exposure to infected animals. In December 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first severe human case of H5N1 in Louisiana, involving a patient hospitalized with severe illness.

We have seen H5N1 move across nonhuman animal species, to situations where humans have become mildly ill after contact with animals, and now to situations where animal contact has resulted in severe human illness.

Since this particular strain of influenza has been detected in a variety of animals, but rarely in humans, what is the concern? The concern […]

2025-02-13T12:42:43-05:00February 13th, 2025|infection control, infectious diseases, Nursing, Public health|0 Comments
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Dengue Fever: What Nurses Need to Know Now

This summer the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a health advisory as countries in the Americas report 9.7 million cases of dengue, the highest number in any year. The United States and Puerto Rico have reported 2,559 cases of dengue since January. The CDC expects the numbers to continue to rise as the environment warms.

Nurses in every specialty, but especially those who prepare individuals and families for international travel, will want to know about this latest dengue surge. All U.S. nurses will want to know how to triage, manage, and follow-up these patients to prevent local outbreaks and life-threatening complications.

Dengue (“den-gay”) fever is an age-old viral illness rapidly expanding its global impact beyond the tropics. According to the Rockefeller Foundation, “dengue fever is the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral infection in the world.”

Also known as “breakbone fever” because of the painful arthralgias and myalgias associated with the infection, dengue is a common disease in the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific Islands, where it is a health risk for travelers and locals alike.

Currently 3.9 billion people are at risk in 129 countries, including certain areas of the United States. The WHO estimates […]

2024-07-18T15:10:04-04:00July 18th, 2024|climate change, infection control, infectious diseases, Nursing, Public health|0 Comments
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Views expressed on the blog are solely those of the authors or persons quoted. They do not necessarily reflect AJN’s views or those of Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
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