HHS halts work at high-risk infectious disease lab following repeated safety violations

HHS implemented a pause on research of deadly infectious disease pathogens at one of the nation's most highly secure research labs following repeated safety incidents.

The facility, which is one of only a handful across North America, is part of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and is located at the U.S. Army base Fort Detrick, outside Washington, D.C. The research there studies treatment and prevention of deadly, "high-consequence" diseases such as Lassa Fever and Eastern equine encephalitis.

According to the HHS official who was willing to speak on the matter under the condition of anonymity, the pause stemmed from a lover's spat between researchers at the facility, which resulted in one of the individuals poking holes in the other's personal protective equipment (PPE). That individual has since been fired, the official indicated.