The National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asserted its leadership in public health in 2024, addressing critical challenges both within the United States and beyond. From swiftly curbing viral hemorrhagic fever epidemics to amplifying wastewater surveillance and boosting local health departments via the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) program, NCEZID remained devoted to safeguarding health, thwarting diseases, and preparing for potential health threats.
Their achievements spotlight the influential role of cooperation, innovation, and scientific proficiency in enhancing public health outcomes. NCEZID disease detectives effectively managed two outstanding hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in 2024: Rwanda’s initial Marburg epidemic and an operation to deter Lassa fever transmission in Iowa. Expert scientists promptly deployed to Rwanda within 72 hours of outbreak notification, facilitating vital epidemiologic studies, tracing contacts, running lab tests, and executing robust infection control measures.
In the United States, over forty CDC staff were assigned to three airports, partnering with the Department of Homeland Security to screen passengers arriving from Rwanda. This exemplifies the direct and significant benefits of CDC’s global health security initiatives in halting outbreaks at their origin. A small team confirmed and contained a case of Lassa fever, demonstrating CDC’s swift domestic response.
Meanwhile, the agency collaborated with partners to pinpoint exposure sources, treatment practices, and genomic epidemiology for the first reported American patients with an emerging antimicrobial-resistant ringworm, Trichophyton indotineae or T. indotineae. They also partnered with the American Academy of Dermatology to develop an infection registration system for physicians.
Furthermore, NCEZID provided support for investigations on the status of lymphatic filariasis in American Samoa and potential small mammal reservoirs of the borealpox virus in Alaska. The agency’s swift interjection in more than 160 multistate foodborne disease outbreaks, affecting over ten million annually, underscores their crucial role in food safety.
CDC’s wastewater surveillance, expanded in 2024, now monitors Influenza A, Avian Influenza A(H5), and RSV, providing coverage for nearly half of the American population and contributing notably to public health preparedness and response.
The CDC’s Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) program, instrumental in enhancing state-level epidemic response, allowed Alabama’s Infectious Diseases and Outbreaks Division to conduct surveillance for over 85 nationally reportable conditions. Additionally, with the ELC program’s support, Wisconsin was able to expand its bioinformatics team, enhancing its sequencing capabilities.
In summary, the CDC’s NCEZID’s enduring commitment to its mission is evidenced in the 2024 accomplishments, where they exhibited extraordinary dedication to disease prevention, timely detection, and the control of infectious disease threats.