Lawrence Gostin

A Dutch man died from hantavirus aboard the cruise ship April 11th.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took more than three weeks to issue a brief public statement about the hantavirus outbreak, which has sickened at least eight people and led to three deaths.

That's now been followed with an advisory to health professionals Friday, a media call Saturday, and a press release Sunday about how federal health officials are helping bring cruise passengers home.

Lawrence Gostin is professor of global health law at Georgetown University.

He says the U.S.

response has been fragmented and delayed, but it's finally coming together.

Gostin says the strain of hantavirus is not very contagious, so the outbreak should soon be contained.

Ping Huang, NPR News.

If the brain is like a computer, then Kyla Madonna Kenny's was crashing.

The room was spinning and I was shaking, but only on one side.

In order to leave the WHO, the U.S.

is supposed to give one year's notice.

It did that.

But it's also supposed to pay all its bills, which amount to $278 million.

The State Department told NPR that's not happening.

Lawrence Gostin is at Georgetown University and directs the WHO's Center on Global Health Law.

He says practically the U.S.

can leave, but it's unclear if the WHO will continue letting Washington participate in its meetings and share data about things like disease outbreaks.

The State Department says it doesn't want to participate.

Gabriela Emanuel, NPR News.