TB Passengar - father in law works for CDC division of Tuberculosis

The father-in-law of the 31-year-old man under federal quarantine with a rare and dangerous form of tuberculosis is one of the leading TB researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, FOX News has learned.

Dr. Robert Cooksey, who works in the CDC's Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, confirmed to FOX News that he is the father-in-law of Andrew Speaker, a personal-injury lawyer who practices in his father's law firm in Atlanta.

Asked by FOX News whether it was possible that he had passed along the dangerous strain to his son-in-law, Cooksey said, "Absolutely not." He added that he "works in the lab" and "is not authorized to talk about that."

Speaker, who earlier Thursday was transferred to Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center for treatment, touched off an international TB alert earlier this week when it was discovered that he had flown from Atlanta to Europe in mid-May for his wedding and honeymoon, all the while knowing that he had been diagnosed with the disease.

Speaker claims he did not find out until he was already in Europe that he was infected with an extensively drug-resistant strain of TB considered especially dangerous

entire story - http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,276613,00.html

 

no, no chance of that. :roll: where the **** did he get it, then? too big of a coincidence....

 

Wonder if he likes his son-in-law???

 

That's what I thought too Curious, except by getting his son-in-law sick he would also be risking his daughter's life as well. Very interesting "coincidence" though. :neutral:

 

Definitely looks bad on the CDC. A guy can fly out of their home city all over the world spreading TB.


/Grandmother died of it.

 

This whole thing smells bad.

 

Heard a report on GMA yesterday morning that it is a non-contagious (sp) strain that is extremely rare. If it's non-contagious why all the hype?

On a side note the first captive bred panda to ever be released back into the wild died yesterday. Didn't hear that mentioned too much.



Craig

 

Well, I hope that if anyone else becomes infected they sue the "personal injury attorney" for the injury he deliberately put on them. He was told not to leave Italy and did anyway...selfish ahole!

 

I heard on GMA also this morning that the CDC told him it was ok to fly - and to only change it after he was gone... Supposedly there was like 30 people in conference room telling him he was ok? Strange either way!

 

Another brilliant use of tax dollars. Maybe they can get a bonus like the VA employee's

 

sounds like he might be a guinea pig of sorts for some kind of testing.





Craig

 

"You think your father in-law hates you, mine gave me a non-contagious tuberculosis strain. =("

Poor guy. =x

 

Hoping you realize that Grissom is a fictional character and you are joking.

 

The story worries me because Speaker says the CDC said he was not contagious and he would not risk others, but the CDC said that he should not travel. Whenever the story has two sides there is always something amiss.

Speaker is now PO'ed about the quarantine, because he "is a well educated man and does not need to be patroled by an armed guard" [paraphrase]

In any event, contagious or not since he is 'a well educated man' his dumbazz should know he should not fly commercially.

My opinion is that this guy is some pr*ck who has some sort of sense of entitlement, lives a life of privilege and doesn't like the word 'no'. He sounds like a spoiled little brat to me.

All others be dammed! I will go on my expensive honeymoon!

Think about it...this is the kind of guy that could end the world.

 

I was just reading an update on this. Speaker was advised not to fly by the CDC and once he was overseas the CDC contacted him because they found the more dangerous strain and he was told NOT TO FLY and he did anyway.

 

That guy was a great VP. To this day people still think he was a bumbling idiot. He took tremendous heat off the Bush I.

 

Andrew Speaker is not a stupid man. I can only conclude that he did not care about anyone except himself. (And that includes exposing his bride and wedding guests.)

Here are a few quotes from a very sobering article We live in a risky world of TB.

 

Not only that but he claims he did not realize he was doing anything wrong but he bought a ticket to fly from montreal to Atlanta and then drove instead...throwing off the authorities??? Even though his passport was flagged he was allowed into the US at the border. (border guard is on Admin leave now.) Seems like the work of someone who knew what they were doing was wrong. He even admits he drove because he knew his passport had been flagged.

As far as the father in law....would the CDC want to admit it if he somehow got TB thru the father in law? But like you say..seems like too much of a coincidence. I wonder if they tested the strain and compared it to strains worked on by the FIL? And did they post these results.

As for Speaker...I hope they give him no TV or anything...or maybe a TV stuck on Barney. :twisted:

 

OK here is my slant....


Wow have we not just let every body in the world know that you can get in to the US if you are willing to be a human bio-weapon. I think some times the News over hypes a topic or just plain talks too much.

 

There are also emails between CDC folks indicating that the family was extremely non-cooperative as they tried to talk him into staying in the country and then find him once they realized he had gone ahead and left.

Also..this guy has been traveling in Cambodia and Peru, among other places. He could have picked up the disease there.