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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Public Health Service

 

"Maverg

Centers for Disease Control
Atlanta GA 30333

March 1, 1991

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
University Professor

The Rockefeller University
1230 York Avenue

New York, New York 10021-6399

 

Dear Dr. Lederberg:

This is just a note on behalf of my colleagues in the Center for
Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control to say that we
applaud your leadership in the Institute of Medicine's study of
Emerging Microbial Threats and your leadership in putting this subject
before the concerned public. We may be biased, but we think this is a
very important subject, a subject in need of some attention.

We are proud of our record in dealing with the infectious diseases and
etiologic agents of disease in recent years -- after all, primary
crucial discoveries and innovative intervention strategies by CID/cDC
staff members are at the heart of national and international programs
dealing with many infectious diseases/agents:

Marburg & Ebola viruses Venezuelan encephalitis virus
Legionella pneumophilia Dengue viruses
Staphylococcus aureus Measles virus

(Toxic shock syndrome) Rabies virus
Reye syndrome Lassa virus
HIV/AIDS SSRNA diarrhea viruses
HTLV-II in this hemisphere E. coli 0157:H7
Influenza virus (Hemorrhagic colitis and
Group A streptococcus Hemolytic uremic syndrome)
Drug-resistant malaria Haemophilus influenzae aegyptius
Human herpesvirus 6 (Brazilian purpuric fever)
Hepatitis C virus Erlichia spp (human erlichiosis)
Hepatitis E virus Rickettsia spp

"Hepatitis X" virus
etc.

And there are more to come. Some critics have said that cDC is ill-
prepared to deal with the new and emerging threats of today -- it is
true that we in the Center for Infectious Diseases are suffering
substantial fiscal woes, but we are not destitute and we have not
given up a bit of our verve as the torch has been passed to a new
generation of infectious disease epidemiologists and laboratory
scientists. For example, just look at what my colleagues have done
to resolve the question of emergence of HIV in the setting of
medical/dental invasive procedures.
All this is by way of saying that we would be pleased to help in any
way possible in the Institute of Medicine study you are undertaking --
we can provide many kinds of resources -- you need only call.

Best regards.

Sincerely yours,

 

Director
Center for Infectious Diseases