In northwest Nigeria, fever deaths were occurring without a clear diagnosis—creating a blind spot for health officials. A CDC-trained disease detective helped introduce a novel approach: testing blood samples of those who had died following a fever. Using this approach, investigators uncovered 11 previously undetected Lassa fever infections and one dengue infection, reducing the risk of dangerous diseases spreading within the local communities or reaching the United States. #CrisisToControl#

In October 2024, an American man returned to Iowa after traveling to Liberia, unknowingly carrying Lassa fever. His illness showed how quickly a health threat abroad can become a threat at home. Drawing on 16 years of CDC partnership in Liberia, CDC-trained disease detectives and other global health teams partnered with CDC experts to quickly provide U.S. health officials with critical guidance to help prevent its spread—protecting Americans here at home. #CrisisToControl#

In late 2023, an unusual cluster of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder, emerged in Guatemala along a major travel corridor linking the region to the United States. Global health security experts, including CDC-trained disease detectives, partnered with local health officials to investigate the cluster, identify Campylobacter—a bacterium that causes many foodborne illnesses—as the likely cause for the GBS cases, and stop its spread. Within 3 months, the outbreak of Campylobacter was contained with no cross-border spread. It never reached U.S. shores. #CrisisToControl#