Despite $47M Budget, Homeland Security Unprepared For Pandemic

[Geee]

Free Beacon:

The Department of Homeland Security has received a $47 million budget to put plans in place to prevent future pandemics–but despite that budget, which was intended for planning and training, the department is ill-prepared for such events.

 

A report released Monday by the DHS Office of the Inspector General shows that the majority of its antiviral drugs–81 percent–are due to expire in 2015. Much of its hand sanitizer has already expired, some by more than four years, and much of its agencies’ personal protective equipment is missing.

 

“A severe influenza pandemic presents a tremendous challenge, which may affect millions of Americans, cause significant illnesses and fatalities, and substantially disrupt our economic and social stability,” the report said. “It is DHS’s responsibility to ensure it is adequately prepared to continue critical operations in the event of a pandemic.”

[Geee]

Possible Ebola case reported in Miami

 

A patient who might have Ebola virus is being treated at a Miami-area hospital, according to a report.

The Centers for Disease Control confirmed the news to a local NBC affiliate but did not provide further detail. A request for comment from the CDC was not immediately returned.

 

If officially diagnosed as Ebola, the case would be the first to arrive undetected on U.S. soil in connection with the widening epidemic in West Africa.

 

It is highly unlikely that an Ebola case would arise naturally in the United States.

 

Ebola is highly lethal and is transmitted through bodily fluids.

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/216949-report-possible-ebola-case-in-miami