The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention primarily does which of the following?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention primarily does which of the following?

• A. Oversees international travel and trade
• B. Tracks the health of the nation and helps identify causes of epidemics and food-borne illnesses
• C. Regulates medical devices
• D. Conducts space research

Answer: (B)

Public health surveillance and outbreak investigation are at the heart of the CDC’s work. The agency tracks health indicators across the nation, monitors disease trends, and investigates epidemics and food-borne illnesses to identify causes and inform prevention and response strategies. This focus on data collection, monitoring, and investigation is what defines the CDC’s primary role in protecting population health. The other options point to tasks handled by different agencies—overseeing international travel and trade, regulating medical devices, or conducting space research—so they don’t reflect the CDC’s core function.

Public health surveillance and outbreak investigation are at the heart of the CDC’s work. The agency tracks health indicators across the nation, monitors disease trends, and investigates epidemics and food-borne illnesses to identify causes and inform prevention and response strategies. This focus on data collection, monitoring, and investigation is what defines the CDC’s primary role in protecting population health. The other options point to tasks handled by different agencies—overseeing international travel and trade, regulating medical devices, or conducting space research—so they don’t reflect the CDC’s core function.