Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Former CDC director on Ebola outbreak: ‘I suspect this is going to become a very significant pandemic’
The Hill ^ | May 21, 2026 | Ashleigh Fields

Posted on 05/21/2026 6:23:33 PM PDT by Red Badger

Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield said Wednesday he suspects the spreading Ebola outbreak in Africa will spread across three new countries and become a “very significant pandemic.”

“I suspect this is going to become a very significant pandemic, probably going to leak into Tanzania, leak into southern Sudan, maybe leak into Rwanda,” Redfield said during an appearance on NewsNation’s “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”

“So, it’s going to be very disruptive,” he added.

A majority of the Ebola cases are in Congo and Uganda.

Local health officials in the two nations reported 536 suspected cases, 105 probable cases, 34 confirmed cases and around 134 suspected deaths from the outbreak, according to the CDC.

“This is an outbreak right now that is really a significant outbreak that’s of significant public health international concern, partially because what you said, it wasn’t recognized very quickly. I’m not sure why,” Redfield told anchor Elizabeth Vargas.

“Normally when we have these Ebola outbreaks, and I had three of them when I was CDC director, all of which were in the DRC, normally we recognize them when we have five, 10 cases, you know, at most,” he continued. “This one really wasn’t picked up until there was over 100 cases.”

The former CDC director added, “As you said, now there’s over 500 cases. There’s close to 150 deaths already, and it’s moving very rapidly.”

The May outbreak marks the 17th outbreak of Ebola in the region within the past 50 years, and officials said the most recent outbreak ended last December, the CDC noted.

One American worker reportedly came in contact with the virus while working in Congo and was transported to Germany for treatment.

On Thursday, the State Department issued a travel advisory requiring that all U.S.-bound American citizens and lawful permanent residents who have been in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within 21 days of arrival in the U.S. go through “enhanced public health screening” carried out by the CDC and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Travelers who have been to African countries with reports of Ebola outbreaks within the last three weeks must complete the enhanced screening at Washington Dulles International Airport.


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Military/Veterans; Outdoors; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: disease; ebola; ebolachan; fearporning

Click here: to donate by Credit Card

Or here: to donate by PayPal

Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794

Thank you very much and God bless you.


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-47 next last

1 posted on 05/21/2026 6:23:33 PM PDT by Red Badger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Robert Redfield....

LOL

Zer0 cred this guy has.


2 posted on 05/21/2026 6:25:41 PM PDT by Paladin2 ( YMMV)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

I don’t think so . Ebola kills people fast. That prevents it from spreading far. It is the slow acting plagues that are the ones to fear the most. Like the Islam mind virus.


3 posted on 05/21/2026 6:26:31 PM PDT by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Paladin2

I thought he died last year.


4 posted on 05/21/2026 6:26:52 PM PDT by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger
It's never over until "The Admiral" pipes in:


5 posted on 05/21/2026 6:27:30 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ( O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and his mercy endures forever. — Psalm 106)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Only if they deliberately spread it


6 posted on 05/21/2026 6:27:45 PM PDT by butlerweave (Fateh)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Paladin2

Don’t know anything about him.................


7 posted on 05/21/2026 6:28:13 PM PDT by Red Badger (Iryna Zarutska, May 22, 2002 Kyiv, Ukraine – August 22, 2025 Charlotte, North Carolina Say her name)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Operators are standing by

1-800-EBOLAOK

8 posted on 05/21/2026 6:28:54 PM PDT by OldHarbor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

This guy sounds like he’s drooling over the prospect of this. POS.


9 posted on 05/21/2026 6:29:05 PM PDT by HYPOCRACY (There is no gravity. The earth just sucks. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Oh goodie, another one ...


10 posted on 05/21/2026 6:29:43 PM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Am Yisrael Chai ~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Uganda is where the illegal aliens go. Coincidence? Hardly.


11 posted on 05/21/2026 6:29:47 PM PDT by Libloather (Why do climate change hoax deniers live in mansions on the beach?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

...at his house in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (see how confusing we can make this)


12 posted on 05/21/2026 6:29:50 PM PDT by BookmanTheJanitor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

13 posted on 05/21/2026 6:30:28 PM PDT by dfwgator ("I am Charlie Kirk!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Right. From The Hill. spit.

I think the only real solution is mail-in ballots /s


14 posted on 05/21/2026 6:30:38 PM PDT by citizen (All Bush-era RINOs have got to be primaried out.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

😆...................................


15 posted on 05/21/2026 6:31:27 PM PDT by Red Badger (Iryna Zarutska, May 22, 2002 Kyiv, Ukraine – August 22, 2025 Charlotte, North Carolina Say her name)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: butlerweave

They wouldn’t do that, now would they?

Would they?

Bueller?.....


16 posted on 05/21/2026 6:32:38 PM PDT by Red Badger (Iryna Zarutska, May 22, 2002 Kyiv, Ukraine – August 22, 2025 Charlotte, North Carolina Say her name)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Governor Dinwiddie

I need some eye bleach.


17 posted on 05/21/2026 6:34:25 PM PDT by crusty old prospector
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Paladin2

Was Robert Redfield appointed by a democrat?? One who believed in global warming and COVID lies?


18 posted on 05/21/2026 6:34:32 PM PDT by GOPJ (Middle aged not-too-bright white bimbos will miss Stephen Colbert - the rest of us? Not so much.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

But, he still votes for Dems.


19 posted on 05/21/2026 6:36:37 PM PDT by Jane Long (Jesus is Lord!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Paladin2

On July 14, 2020, Redfield warned that the winter of 2020–2021 would probably be “one of the most difficult times that we’ve experienced in American public health”. He also said, “If we could get everybody to wear a mask right now, I really do think over the next four, six, eight weeks, we could bring this epidemic under control.”


20 posted on 05/21/2026 6:42:34 PM PDT by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s²)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-47 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson