Internal Dissension Grows as CDC Faces Big Threats to Public Health

Abstract

According to current and former CDC officials and several outside experts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is being roiled by internal dissension as it faces such unprecedented threats as bioterrorism, a potential flu pandemic, and the obesity epidemic. The agency has been thrown into turmoil by a combination of factors, including a drawn-out restructuring, the departure of dozens of its most respected scientists, concerns about political interference, and a pending budget cut of nearly $500 million. The impact remains a matter of debate, but the uproar is causing widespread alarm among public health authorities.