US: The shutdown in the US is going to affect mapping of diseases in the country. The Centers for Disease Control (CDCs) will not be able to produce the weekly national map that tracks disease outbreaks state by state. Influenza season began last month in the US.
The shutdown has had a major impact on the CDCs. Two third of the employees working at the CDCs have been sent home. Even the CDC headquarter in Atlanta is deserted. “We will be less able to determine when it”s (influenza) come, what kind of flu has come or to respond to outbreaks,” said Dr Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC headquarter. It means that there has been no warning to let the people know what problems they are going to face. This may also cause problems in tracking the outbreaks of hepatitis A, salmonella, and measles.
Source: cbsnew.com
