1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

My husband died from e Coli last month, an immense personal tragedy compounded by the unacceptable withholding of critical public health information about disease outbreaks from the American people. The recent E. coli outbreak linked to contaminated romaine lettuce sickened nearly 90 people across 15 states, yet the public was kept in the dark by the Trump administration. This follows a disturbing pattern of failing to transparently communicate about other recent outbreaks involving listeria and hepatitis strains. Public health agencies have a fundamental obligation to alert the public about potential health risks so that citizens can take appropriate precautions. Downplaying or covering up outbreak details makes it impossible for people to protect themselves and their families. Budgetary concerns around inspections and enforcement do not justify jeopardizing public safety through negligent lack of disclosure. Decisive action must be taken to restore the public's trust that their wellbeing will never be sacrificed for political motivations. Reinstate comprehensive public outbreak reporting without delay to uphold the government's most basic commitment to its citizens.