Government shutdown means many CDC experts are skipping a pivotal meeting on infectious disease

"CDC researchers are being forced to skip a pivotal conference on infectious disease this week due to the government shutdown, missing out on high-level discussions not long after surges in measles and whooping cough hit the U.S. IDWeek, the largest annual meeting of infectious disease experts in the nation, is the leading venue for experts to trade information about diagnosing, treating and preventing threats including bird flu, superbugs and HIV, among many other topics."

"The CDC typically sends scores of researchers and outbreak investigators. But of the hundreds of speakers listed in the printed program for the four-day conference, about 10 were identified as CDC scientists. And even that small number didn't show up. The main reason is the government shutdown that started Oct. 1. Federal scientists aren't being paid and conference appearances are postponed unless they are funded outside of annual government budgets."

CDC researchers did not attend IDWeek because of a government shutdown that began Oct. 1, leaving few or no agency participants at the four-day conference. Federal scientists are not being paid and are barred from conference appearances unless funding comes from outside annual budgets. The Infectious Disease Society of America had planned the meeting in Atlanta with CDC involvement, but earlier freezes on communications, layoffs, and funding cuts limited participation. IDWeek serves as the primary venue for sharing information on diagnosing, treating, and preventing threats such as bird flu, superbugs, HIV, measles, and whooping cough.

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