Trump taps Georgia legislator-physician as HHS secretary
President-elect Donald Trump announced today that he will nominate US Rep. Tom Price, MD (R-Ga.), an orthopedic surgeon, as his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), NBC News reported today.
HHS plays a key role in the nation's public health, with activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, and National Institutes of Health under its umbrella.
Price is known for his work on legislation to replace the Affordable Care Act and chairs the House Budget Committee, according to the NBC report. The HHS secretary is a cabinet-level position that requires Senate confirmation.
Nov 29 NBC News story
Canadian lab worker released from Ebola quarantine
A lab worker in Winnipeg exposed to Ebola virus earlier this month has been released from 21-day quarantine and is healthy, The Globe and Mail reported today. The man was exposed while working with pigs infected with Ebola at the National Center for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The worker had noticed a 1-inch rip in his protective clothing while showering on Nov 7 after working in a high-containment lab with the pigs.
Ebola virus is highly contagious and killed thousands of people from 2013 to 2015 during an outbreak in West Africa. Since then, several government and private labs worldwide have ramped up research on the disease.
Nov 29 Globe and Mail story