CDC's Full-Time Cruise Ship Inspectors Were Laid Off One Year Ago amid Record Outbreaks: Report [View all]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Vessel Sanitation Program experienced significant layoffs almost exactly one year ago despite record outbreaks at the time, according to a 2025 report from CBS News.
The current hantavirus outbreak on the Dutch ship MV Hondius has sparked fresh questions for many about the sanitation measures that cruise ships must adhere to. While experts believe the current hantavirus outbreak did not originate from a lack of cleanliness on the ship — as passengers are thought to have been infected before joining the cruise — attention is being drawn to the actions cruise companies take to ensure their ships are properly sanitized.
In April 2025, CBS News reported that all full-time employees working for the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) had been fired, leaving a smaller group of 12 U.S. Public Health Service officers. The layoffs came amid a “record” number of norovirus outbreaks in the U.S. last year, per the report.
https://people.com/cdc-full-time-cruise-ship-inspectors-were-laid-off-one-year-ago-amid-record-outbreaks-report-11969485
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