Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The CDC Lab That Holds Some Of World's Deadliest Pathogens Showing Signs Of Age
Inside a complex of special government labs, scientists in full-body protective suits work with some of the world鈥檚 deadliest pathogens: Ebola, smallpox and certain strains of聽bird flu. Many of the organisms have no treatment or vaccine, so the labs housed in this facility on the sprawling campus of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are equipped with extensive safety features. There is special air pressurization to prevent any accidental release, and hoses attached to the聽bulky protective outfits聽pump in breathing air for the scientists wearing them. (Sun, 2/23)
鈥淭he concerns are that the facility we鈥檝e been in now is beginning to show signs of age,鈥 said Dr. Inger Damon, head of the division of high consequence pathogens and pathology. That division works on viruses like smallpox and Ebola, which can only be studied in laboratories of the highest biosafety and biosecurity ratings, BSL4. The request, which is currently in the proposed budget for fiscal year 2018, is for $350 million. But more will be needed later; the new high containment continuity laboratory, as it is called, would be built on the site of one of only a few parking facilities on the CDC鈥檚 main campus. (Branswell, 2/23)
In other news聽鈥
The authorities in Atlanta announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case of a missing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employee who disappeared about two weeks ago. The employee, Timothy J. Cunningham, 35, was promoted to commander in the United States Public Health Service in July, his family said. According to the police, he was last seen on Feb. 12. (Caron, 2/24)
The Harvard-educated epidemiologist聽was promoted in July at the U.S. Public Health Service in Atlanta and contributed to responses following outbreaks of Zika, Ebola and health emergencies聽caused by Hurricane Sandy. He also was a聽prominent fixture in the Atlanta community, earning a spot in聽Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 Under 40 Awards聽last year. But the researcher, who studies disease patterns, was not feeling well Feb. 12 and left work around midday. (Horton, 2/25)
