Pandora Report 8.15.2025

This week’s Pandora Report covers updates on bird flu, discussion of the shooting at CDC’s main campus in Atlanta, and more.

Avian Influenza Updates

By Margeaux Malone, Pandora Report Associate Editor

International Bird Flu Outbreaks Signal Ongoing Global Threat

Although only one outbreak of avian influenza has been detected in U.S. commercial poultry since early July at a game bird farm in Pennsylvania, recent international developments underscore that H5N1 bird flu remains far from contained globally.

The United Kingdom is experiencing an unusual summer surge of avian influenza cases with 10 commercial poultry outbreaks reported in two weeks, including recent detections in south west England. Just prior to the spike, the UK had lowered its threat level for farmers after five weeks without any new reported cases. While the surge may be a transient occurrence, it will continue to be monitored closely given that it represents a notable deviation from the typical summer pattern.

Multiple other countries have also noted recent H5 detections in poultry over the last few weeks including Taiwan, Botswana, and Cambodia, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE). Additionally, Chilean researchers recently described the first detection of H5N1 in Antarctica. After sampling over a hundred birds at two different Antarctic locations, eight Adelie penguins and one Atlantic cormorant tested positive via PCR for H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza. Fortunately, no clinical signs of influenza were observed in the positive birds, who continued to exhibit normal foraging behavior even two months after testing. However, this geographic expansion to the world’s most isolated continent potentially adds two more species to the long list of infected animals and highlights the virus’s remarkable ability to spread via migratory bird routes.

The outbreak’s economic ripple effects continue as well. China announced that it has pre-emptively banned Spanish poultry imports following Spain’s August 4 outbreak detection in the Basque region, though Spain notes minimal immediate impact since planned exports hadn’t yet commenced. In April, the two countries signed a protocol for export of certain poultry products from Spain to China. Spanish authorities are now working with WOAH to resolve the outbreak and allow the restrictions to be lifted.

Further Reading:

“Three things we can do now to reduce the risk of avian influenza spillovers,” Kenneth B. Yeh, et al., PNAS
“Bird flu returns to Western Cape, threatening critically endangered seabirds and the poultry industry,” Nova News
“Tracking HPAIV H5 through a geographic survey of Antarctic seabird populations,” Fabiola León, et al., Scientific Reports

Shooter Who Blamed COVID-19 Vaccine for Depression, Suicidal Thoughts Attacks CDC Main Campus, Intensifying Scrutiny of Kennedy’s Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric, Criticism of Public Health Agencies

Last Friday, the public health crisis that is gun violence in the US claimed the nation’s premier public health agency as its latest victim. More than 500 casings have been recovered on CDC’s Roybal Campus in Atlanta, with nearly 200 fired at six buildings on the campus, breaking around 150 “blast-resistant” windows. Five firearms were recovered at the scene. The shooter was stopped by CDC security guards before he drove to a shopping area adjacent to the CDC campus and continued to fire.

Thankfully, no CDC employees were killed or physically injured in the attack, though a Georgia police officer was killed by the attacker. Authorities have praised security measures in place at the CDC campus that, in addition to those employed by CDC, had almost 100 children present at the childcare center at the time of the attack.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), a search warrant executed at the shooter’s home resulted in recovery of written documents that are currently being analyzed by GBI Certified Criminal Profilers. GBI reports that the shooter expressed beliefs that indicated his discontent with COVID-19 vaccines, which he blamed for making him depressed and suicidal. Police were called on the shooter three times in the last year in response to his suicidal thoughts. Two calls were made by the shooter’s father, who told police during one of the call’s that the shooter was in possession of a firearm. The other call was made by a crisis line worker. Officer Mark Morgan of the Emory Police Department opened fire while confronting the gunman, though GBI reporting indicates the shooter was not shot by law enforcement. The shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

A DeKalb County policy officer, Officer David Rose, was killed in the line of duty while responding to the shooting. Rose, a Boston native who served four years in the Marine Corps, graduated from the DeKalb County Police Academy at the top of his class earlier this year before being assigned to the North Central Precinct. He leaves behind a wife, two young children, a third child expected later this year, his parents and siblings, and an extended family. He will be honored at the Atlanta’s Finest 5K this weekend, where all proceeds will go towards supporting his family.

This is part of a much broader trend of harassment and attacks targeting public health that has become substantially worse in recent years. Recent studies have documented the pervasive harassment those in public health have experienced since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, little to nothing has been done to address the trauma many in public health continue to endure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with those in the public health workforce more likely to report posttraumatic stress symptoms than those in the general US adult population. The shooting has sparked yet more concern that young professionals will lose interest in working for agencies like CDC or even studying public health in the first place.

Secretary Kennedy made a statement on X regarding the shooting, saying: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic shooting at CDC’s Atlanta campus that took the life of officer David Rose. We stand with his wife and three children and the entire CDC family…We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others…We are actively supporting CDC staff on the ground and across the agency. Public health workers show up every day with purpose — even in moments of grief and uncertainty…We honor their service. We stand with them. And we remain united in our mission to protect and improve the health of every American.”

Kennedy did tour the Roybal Campus this week alongside HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neil and CDC Director Susan Monarez. Kennedy also visited the DeKalb County Police Department before meeting with the widow of Officer Rose. Notably, the White House and President Trump have not commented on the shooting.

Kennedy refused to answer a direct question from Scripps News on Monday asking what message he has for CDC employees who worry about the culture of misinformation and skepticism surrounding vaccines. Kennedy insisted, despite what information has been revealed by GBI about the shooter’s motives, that not enough information is known about those motives. He then immediately went on to criticize CDC’s pandemic response, saying in part, “One of the things that we saw during COVID is that the government was overreaching in its efforts to persuade the public to get vaccinated and they were saying things that are not always true.”

Secretary Kennedy has spent years attacking the CDC. For example, in videos from 2013-2019, Kennedy compared CDC’s vaccine work to “fascism” and “child abuse,” describing the agency as a “cesspool of corruption” that he claimed is full of profiteers. Kennedy has also claimed CDC failed to address “the autism epidemic,” comparing it to the Holocaust. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, he repeatedly described CDC and other HHS agencies as corrupt while suggesting SARS-CoV-2 is a bioweapon and describing the COVID-19 vaccine as “the deadliest vaccine ever made.”

In July, Kennedy and his newly-appointed members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices cast doubt on the hepatitis B vaccine. In an interview, Kennedy falsely claimed that the CDC conducted a study that found the hepatitis B vaccine increases the risk of autism, and that researchers at CDC hid these findings from the public. This sparked online discourse about an alleged 1,135% increased risk of developing autism as a result of receiving the hepatitis B vaccine. In reality, the study, which was published in Pediatrics in 2003, was a two-phase retrospective cohort study focused on potential links between five vaccines vaccines (including vaccines for hepatitis B, haemophilus influenzae type b, and diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) that used thimerosal as a preservative and neurodevelopmental disorders. No such link was found.

The study, published by Verstraeten et al., included a 1999 abstract presented at the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service conference that year, in which the authors explained that Phase I raw data analysis using the Vaccine Safety Datalink appeared to show an increased risk for non-degenerative neurological disorders with thimerosal-containing vaccines. At a conference in 2000, researchers explained that, during Phase II analysis of the data (using confirmed diagnoses rather than raw data), this potential connection between these vaccines and autism shown in the raw data was not statistically significant.

The study concluded that “No consistent significant associations were found between TCVs and neurodeveloprnental outcomes.” There are, therefore, numerous issues with Kennedy’s claims. For starters, even if there was a statistically significant link between thimerosal containing vaccines and neurodevelopmental outcomes, this study alone could not specifically link that outcome to the hepatitis B vaccine because it did not only include the hepatitis B vaccine. Furthermore, the notion that the CDC covered this study up is preposterous, least of all given the fact that it was presented at multiple conferences and then published publicly. Verstraeten himself has repeatedly refuted the claim the study was watered down or hidden by CDC. This is all on top of the gross portrayal of people with autism that Kennedy and others rely on in this rhetoric, which has drawn sharp backlash from researchers and autistic people alike.

This kind of rhetoric comes with severe consequences for the health of the public and, as was made abundantly clear by last week’s tragedy, the health and safety of those working for organizations like CDC. Many CDC employees are understandably frustrated by both Kennedy’s response to the shooting and his role in stoking both anti-vaccine sentiments and distrust of the CDC and other public health organizations. One senior CDC official, speaking anonymously, told MSNBC, “The hatred RFK and his allies have spent their lives stoking puts a target on the backs of anyone in public health.”

In a statement regarding the difficulties faced by CDC employees amid the pandemic, rampant misinformation, federal layoffs, and, now, this shooting, one employee said, “It’s just too much. This year has been too much.” Another described the shooting as “the culmination of ongoing animosity toward CDC and the work that we do – not a one-off incident.”

A combined statement made by several relevant professional organizations reads in part, “People choosing public health as a profession are committed to advancing our nation’s health and recognize that good health in every community benefits everyone. It is our hope that all Americans will stand with us to support the vital role that CDC and the entire public health workforce play in supporting safety and well-being in every community. Their expertise and commitment to advancing health deserves all Americans’ unwavering support.”

Further Reading:

“Mom of Officer Killed in CDC Shooting ‘Trying to Cope,'” Christopher King, Fox 5
“CVS Manager Describes CDC Atlanta Shooting Attack: ‘I Still Hear the Sirens’,” Alli Levine, Fox 5
“‘I’m Actually Surprised It Didn’t Happen Sooner’: CDC Staffers Saw the Violence Coming,” Keren Landman, The Atlantic
“CDC Union Condemns Vaccine Misinformation After Shooter Blamed COVID Vaccine for Depression,” Susan Haigh, AP News
“CDC Shooting Highlights Increasing Rhetoric and Hostility Against Health Professionals,” Geoff Bennett and Azhar Merchant, PBS News
“After CDC Shooting, Its Employees Turn Their Anger Towards RFK Jr. and Trump,” Lauren Weber and Lena H. Sun, The Washington Post
“CDC Staffers Voice Frustrations Over Kennedy’s Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric,” Berkely Lovelace Jr., Priya Sridhar, and Daniela Hernandez, NBC News
“1 Week After Deadly Shooting at CDC, Some Employees Feel Trump and RFK Jr. Have Moved On,” Cheyenne Haslett and Mary Kekatos, ABC News
“Public Health Leaders’ Joint Statement in Response to the Attack on CDC,” Trust for America’s Health
“Former Surgeon General: The CDC Shooting Must be a Wakeup Call,” Jerome Adams, STAT News
“The CDC Attack: Safety First,” Tom Frieden, The Formula
“Veterinarians Impacted by Shooting at CDC Headquarters,” Malinda Larkin, American Veterinary Medical Association
“Violence Against Public Health Workers,” Tiesman et al., NIOSH Science Blog
“US Adults’ Beliefs About Harassing or Threatening Public Health Officials During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Topazian et al., JAMA Network Open
“New NACCHO Research Shows Harassment Targeting Local Public Health Leaders Included Verbal Attacks, Physical Violence, and Threats of Legal Action,” National Association of Country and City Health Officials
“Local Public Health Under Threat: Harassment Faced by Local Health Department Leaders During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Royster et al., Public Health in Practice
“Confronting Health Misinformation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Building a Healthy Information Environment,” Office of the Surgeon General

Other Relevant Happenings:

Sixth Session of the BWC Working Group Meets

“The Sixth Session of the BWC Working Group: Setting the Scene,” BioWeapons Prevention Project
“International Cooperation and Assistance at WG6: Setting the Scene,” BioWeapons Prevention Project
“Opening of WG6 and Setting the Scene for Discussion of S&T Developments,” BioWeapons Prevention Project
“The Polish Paradox: Gen. Kazimierz Sosnkowski and the Ban on Biological Warfare,” Robert Petersen, War on the Rocks

Executive Order Requires Alignment with Administration’s Policy Priorities in Grant-Review Process

“Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking,” The White House
“Trump Order Gives Political Appointees Vast Powers Over Research Grants,” Dan Garisto, Nature
“New Executive Order Puts All Grants Under Political Control,” John Timmer, Ars Technica

Calls for RFK Jr. Impeachment Grow

“Groups Call for RFK Jr. to Be Impeached. Here’s What That Would Take,” Kristina Fiore, MedPage Today

Prasad Returns to FDA

“Ousted FDA Vaccine Chief Vinay Prasad is Returning to the Agency,” AP News

Further Discussion of HHS’ Decision to Move Away from mRNA Vaccines

“I Developed mRNA. RFK Jr. is Endangering US Public Health,” Samuel Lovett, The Times
“An Epidemiologist on Trump’s Decision to Pull Funding for mRNA Vaccine Research,” Steve Inskeep, NPR
“Jay Bhattacharya: Why the NIH is Pivoting Away from mRNA Vaccines,” Jay Bhattacharya, The Washington Post

Draft of “Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy” Obtained by Media Following Delay of Report’s Release

“Draft of White House Report Suggests Kennedy Won’t Push Strict Pesticide Regulations,” Dani Blum, Benjamin Mueller, and Alice Callahan, The New York Times
“Second MAHA Report’s Release Delayed,” Joseph Choi, The Hill

Jellyfish Force Gravelines Nuclear Power Station to Go Offline

“Jellyfish Shut Down French Nuclear Power Plant,” Claire Moses, The New York Times

“No One in the White House Knows How to Stop Ebola”

Beth Cameron, Jon Finer, and Stephanie Psaki discuss the dismantling of US pandemic preparedness under the current administration in this piece for The Atlantic. They cover changes to the NSC and the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, ongoing changes at CDC and FDA, the closing of USAID and broader reductions in international aid and engagement, evolving biological threats, and how this “self-inflicted” vulnerability impacts the administration’s ability to respond to threats to global health security like Ebola. They summarize the issue pointedly, writing “Put another way: The second Trump administration inherited a playbook, and then pushed out the people who knew how to run the plays.”

“Assessing the Impacts of Technology Maturity and Diffusion on Malicious Biological Agent Development Capabilities”

Barbara Del Castello and Henry H. Willis authored this RAND Corporation Research Report: “In this report, the authors propose and demonstrate a method to measure changes in threats associated with emerging technologies in the life sciences. The method focuses on how biotechnology maturation and diffusion could lower barriers for nonstate actors to create biological agents. By evaluating the current and near-term maturity of eight disruptive technologies through expert elicitation, the authors demonstrate how to use their method to assess the impact of emerging technologies on the biological agent creation pipeline. The method can be used and extended by those seeking to understand and manage emerging biosecurity risks generated through the advancement of biotechnologies and artificial intelligence.”

“This report should be of interest to biosecurity researchers and policymakers interested in evaluating how advances in life science technologies contribute to increasing adversary bioattack capabilities.”

“Scaling Pathogen Detection with Metagenomics”

Simon Grimm published this essay as part of IFP’s The Launch Sequence series: “America is unprepared to detect new biological threats. Existing pathogen detection methods only identify known pathogens, leaving us blind to novel outbreaks. With frontier AI potentially putting virus design within the reach of more actors, biosecurity is only becoming more urgent.”

“Within 2–3 years, we could transform our pathogen detection capabilities by adopting new technologies: metagenomic sequencing, which detects both known and unknown pathogens, paired with frontier AI models capable of rapidly analyzing billions of sequencing reads a day. The cost of metagenomic sequencing has been dropping rapidly, making it possible to now collect data at the scale needed to enable AI-powered pathogen early warning. Upgrading US biosurveillance in this way would both provide detailed insights into seasonal pathogen spread in the US and ensure far earlier detection of new outbreaks.”

“The US should invest up to $100 million per year into constructing a federal metagenomic surveillance system over the next 2–3 years, as the centerpiece of the CDC’s recently announced Biothreat Radar Detection System. Just as the National Weather Service blanketed the country with radars and made its raw meteorological data public, the federal government can generate and share large amounts of metagenomic sequencing data with a turnaround time of 1–2 days, enabling early outbreak detection that could prevent hundreds of billions of dollars in economic damage.”

Read the full essay here.

What We’re Listening To 🎧

Biosecurity Changing the Game, Ep. 11: Germ-Wars, Treaties, and Global Trust: Demystifying the Biological Weapons Convention

“In this episode, Dr. Dinah Nasike is joined by: Dr. Alex Kyabarongo, a veterinarian, former Political Affairs Intern at the Biological Weapons Convention, and currently a Masters of Biodefense Candidate at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University; and Sandra Matinyi, Biosecurity Game Changers Fellow and the Executive Director of Nuo Bioscience, Uganda. Together, they discuss the Biological Weapons Convention: what is it, why was it created and for whom, and how is it holding up in today’s world of rapidly developing science and the escalating risk of epidemics?”

Listen here.

NEW: Global Conference on Biological Threat Reduction

“The Global Conference on Biological Threat Reduction – which will take place in Geneva on 28-30 October 2025 – will bring together top minds in the fields of health-security, emerging technologies, and biothreat reduction policies, from the public and private sectors – to focus on the latest strategies, challenges and innovations in combating biological threats to our interconnected ecosystems.”

“The Conference will bring together approximately 400 participants from different sectors, including animal health, law enforcement and security, public health, international and regional organisations, investment and development partners, private sector and industry representatives, research, academia and regulatory authorities, youth organisations.”

“Attendees will engage in thought-provoking discussions and innovative technical presentations aimed at strengthening prevention, preparedness and response capabilities across the world.”

“The event will be guided by a narrative that traces WOAH’s commitment to biological threat reduction and the increasingly relevant role it plays at the health-security interface. Against the backdrop of an uncertain future, WOAH believes that synergies between sectors can drive positive change – making the world a safer and healthier place. ”

Learn more and register here.

Mission Critical: How One Hospital Maintained Operations and Protected Patients and Staff After Hurricane Helene

From ASPR TRACIE: “In September 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm, causing historic flooding, tornadoes, and widespread infrastructure damage across the Southeastern U.S. Despite total utility failures, road closures, and supply shortages, Mission Health—comprised of six acute care hospitals in the Western North Carolina region—successfully maintained critical operations, protected patients and staff, and continued providing essential services.”

“The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (ASPR TRACIE) invite you to learn more about this webinar featuring HCA Healthcare representatives. They will share lessons learned, including how leadership made key decisions to sustain operations, secure essential resources, ensure patient and staff safety, and expand support to the surrounding community. Learn how strong leadership, planning, and adaptability enabled a comprehensive and resilient response during and after the storm.”

This event will take place on August 27, 12:30-1:45 PM ET. Register here.

Biological Threats in the Age of Emerging Biotechnology – A Workshop Series

From NASEM: “The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will convene an ad hoc planning committee to organize a workshop series with international scientists. The series will engage early-career and established experts to: a) examine dual-use risks in biotechnology research; b) explore potential misuse of knowledge, tools, and materials; c) review existing frameworks for assessing and mitigating dual-use concerns; and d) identify steps to reduce exploitation while promoting responsible innovation. The workshops will focus on balancing scientific progress with security considerations. Key insights and recommendations will be compiled in a publicly available workshop proceedings document.”

These workshops will take place 10 am-1 pm ET on September 10, 17, and 18. Register here.

CTD–SPECTRE Symposium, “Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases for Clinicians and Translational Scientists”

“The CTD-SPECTRE Symposium on Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases for Clinicians and Translational Scientists 2025 offers a unique opportunity to connect with global experts, gain cutting-edge insights, and collaborate with peers dedicated to infectious disease research and treatment.”

“Taking place September 16 -19, 2025, at the historic Grand Galvez in Galveston, TX, this immersive symposium will unite clinicians, translational investigators, and trainees to explore the latest breakthroughs in tropical and emerging infectious diseases.”

“Hosted by the Division of Infectious Diseases at UTMB, Center for Tropical Diseases (CTD) and Special Pathogens Excellence in Clinical Treatment, Readiness, & Education (SPECTRE) Program.”

Learn more and register here.

Mirror Image Biology: Pushing the Envelope in Designing Biological Systems – A Workshop

From NASEM: “Most biological molecules are chiral entities where their mirror images have different structures and functional characteristics. Scientists have begun synthesizing left-handed DNA and RNA and creating proteins that can write left-handed nucleic acids. This, and other related research, is described as “mirror biology” and includes research toward creating mirror-image self-replicating living systems. The National Academies will host a foundational workshop on mirror biology, focusing on the state of the science, trends in research and development, risks and benefits of this research, and considerations relating for future governance of relevant enabling technologies.”

This event will take place virtually, September 29-30. Register here.

Global Conference on Biological Threat Reduction

From the World Organisation for Animal Health: “In October 2025, WOAH is hosting its third Global Conference, with the goal of galvanising advocacy efforts to manage the rising risk of biological threats from across the world.”

“The Global Conference on Biological Threat Reduction – which will take place in Geneva on 28-30 October 2025 – will bring together top minds in the fields of
health-security, emerging technologies, and biothreat reduction policies, from the public and private sectors – to focus on the latest strategies, challenges and innovations in combating biological threats to our interconnected ecosystems.”

“The Conference will bring together approximately 400 participants from different sectors, including animal health, law enforcement and security, public health, international and regional organisations, investment and development partners, private sector and industry representatives, research, academia and regulatory authorities, youth organisations.”

Learn more and register here.

New Call for Experts to Join the Second Term of the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO)

“Opening call for applications from 30 July–30 August 2025”

“WHO welcomes expressions of interest for SAGO’s second term 2025-2027 from individuals with significant expertise in one or more of the technical disciplines listed below in order to ensure a multi-disciplinary One Health approach.”

“The call will open from 30 July–30 August 2025, closing at 24:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST; UTC +2) on 30 August 2025. Applications require a Curriculum Vitae, a cover letter, and signed Declaration of Interests form.”

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