The CDC is stepping up in the global fight against infectious diseases

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, is increasingly focused on health concerns outside the United States as the world becomes more interconnected. And its international mission goes well beyond fighting global infectious diseases like Zika and HIV. For instance, CDC Director Tom Frieden says drug resistance is making it difficult to administer modern medical care. Treatments including chemotherapy, dialysis and surgery depend on the ability to treat infection. Another nightmare scenario CDC studies is the creation of dangerous organisms that could be released accidentally, in the case of a research experiment gone wrong, or intentionally, in biological warfare or a terrorist attack. “These are real risks. Any of these situations could result in millions of deaths,” Frieden says. The role of climate change in spreading disease is another concern. Researchers believe that when a heatwave hit far northern Russia in August, it caused anthrax bacteria, which may have been...