CDC warns of complacency on global health issues

Flu strains a leading threat. America is facing a “perfect storm of vulnerability” for exposure to infectious diseases, making public health efforts more important than ever, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned. “There is in some quarters a sense that public health is less and less relevant,” CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said during a luncheon at the National Press Club. “Public health is more needed than ever and has more potential than ever.” The successful fight against many infectious diseases can lead to a sense of complacency, Dr. Frieden warned. But the increasing interconnectedness of the world means America is always at risk of being affected by outbreaks in other nations. A lot of food and medication in the U.S. comes from outside its borders, he said, and it only takes one missed diagnosis to unleash an epidemic. “A blind spot anywhere in the world is a risk...