CGH Responds to Outbreaks Where They Happen
This infographic highlights select recent global outbreaks and the Center for Global health (CGH) assets that are essential for CDC to respond effectively.
CGH’s parasitic diseases program addresses parasitic infections in the United States and abroad. Cyclosporiasis is a foodborne illness caused by a parasite. People can become infected by consuming contaminated water or food. More than 1,200 cases were reported in 2020 in the United States. CDC—in close collaboration with state and federal public health partners—investigated clusters of cases ultimately leading to the recall of certain salad products. In order to stop outbreaks more quickly and prevent future ones from happening, CDC has developed new Advanced Molecular Detection (AMD) tools that help link cyclosporiasis cases with shared exposures and identify sources of contaminated foods.
Between August 2018 and June 2020, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) experienced the second largest Ebola outbreak in history, and the 10th outbreak for DRC. CDC scientists and other U.S. government partners worked to stop the outbreak in the politically unstable, and at times violent, eastern part of the country. CDC assisted partners to vaccinate over 300,000 people and with disease surveillance, infection prevention and control, safe and dignified burials, laboratory testing, community engagement and social mobilization, and risk and crisis communication. At the time this outbreak was winding down, CGH began working on the 11th Ebola outbreak in DRC, centered in the western part of the country which was declared over on November 18, 2020.
In April 2019, fifteen children living in the city of Ratodero, were diagnosed with HIV. The response strategy focused on HIV testing and identified an additional 900 people living with HIV; 80% were children under the age of 15 years. At the request of the Ministry of Health of Pakistan, CGH analyzed samples sent to CDC headquarters for sequencing and interpreted data collected by Pakistan’s FETP. CGH and partners determined that unsafe injection practices and poor infection control were likely the drivers of this outbreak.
In 2019, the highest number of cases and deaths of measles worldwide was reported in over 10 years, and global outbreaks resulted in importation to the United States. CGH deployed responders to provide technical assistance for measles outbreak investigations in eight countries—Ukraine, Mauritania, Nigeria, DRC, South Sudan, Madagascar, Samoa, and Tonga. CDC experts and partners agree that to prevent outbreaks, recover global progress, and eliminate measles, public health programs must increase vaccination coverage.
In 2019, two powerful cyclones made landfall in Mozambique. CDC deployed GRRT staff—including Portuguese speakers—to provide technical assistance and public health strategy in outbreak investigation and emergency response. The cyclones left more than two million people in need of assistance. The government of Mozambique, FETP graduates, and CDC’s in-country office staff and GRRT responders pivoted to address the aftermath of both cyclones including aftermath cholera outbreaks that resulted in 7,000 confirmed cholera cases and eight deaths.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries with wild poliovirus type 1 transmission. In Afghanistan, 41 cases were reported during Jan. – July 2020 compared to 15 during the same period in 2019. In Pakistan, 72 cases were reported as of Sept. 2020 and 147 cases in 2019, compared to just 12 reported in 2018. Outbreaks of type 2 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV2) have emerged in areas with low vaccination coverage. Between Jan. and Aug. of 2020, 236 cases occurred worldwide, compared to 358 in 2019 and 71 cases in 2018. In response to these spikes of cVDPV2, CDC stood up the Polio Surge in Sept. 2019 and sent 108 deployers to 13 countries.
In 2019 CGH supported more than 130 outbreak responses in nearly 90 countries.
CGH staff work in more than 60 CDC country offices as part of CDC’s global footprint.
CGH’s Global Disease Detection Operations Center monitors close to 40 threats every day.
Over 350 CDC experts ready to deploy to any part of the world when an outbreak arises.
CGH-trained epidemiologists have investigated almost 6,000 outbreaks and public health emergencies since 2005.
The GDD Operations Center exchanges real-time information with U.S., international agencies, and countries. It is often the first to alert the U.S. government about international outbreaks and the risk they pose to the American public. Every year the center reviews approximately 50,000 signals. Since 2007 it has monitored over 1,000 events of international public heath importance involving 150 diseases in over 200 countries and territories.
The GRRT is composed of multi-disciplinary CDC public health experts ready to deploy on short notice. GRRT has coordinated over 1,440 deployments and 45,000 cumulative days of field support in more than 85 countries since 2015. In response to COVID-19, GRRT pivoted from a global focus to a domestic one, deploying over 250 staff to support 40 states and CDC’s emergency operations center.
The FETP strengthens countries’ public health capacities to respond to outbreaks. The program trains national public health professionals to become field epidemiologists, “disease detectives”, who can prevent, track, contain, and control outbreaks. Trainees and graduates work locally to communicate crucial information about health problems and make response recommendations.
