Sarah Elfreth

06/10/2025 | Press release | Archived content

Elfreth Joins Maryland Delegation in Demanding Answers on Research Pause at NIAID Lab in Fort Detrick

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (D-MD 03), joined Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Congresswoman April McClain Delaney (D-MD 06), Steny Hoyer (D-MD 05), Jamie Raskin (D-MD 08), Glenn Ivey (D-MD 04), Kweisi Mfume (D-MD 07), and Johnny Olszewski (D-MD 02), in a bicameral letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jayanta Bhattacharya raising questions about the research pause at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick (IRF-Frederick), following reports of alleged safety violations, personnel misconduct, and potential exposure to Ebola virus.

The IRF-Frederick is a high-containment research facility operated by NIAID, a key component of NIH. It plays a critical role in the U.S. government's efforts to study and combat deadly and emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola, COVID-19, and HIV/AIDS. On April 29, 2025, operations at the facility were halted in what HHS described as a "safety stand-down," reportedly triggered by personnel issues involving contract staff that compromised the lab's safety protocols.

Subsequent reporting has revealed allegations, including intentional damage to protective equipment stemming from a personal dispute between researchers. In testimony before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Secretary Kennedy confirmed that the FBI is investigating the incident and that a contractor may have been exposed to the Ebola virus.

"The safety measures and protocols at the IRF-Frederick are of the utmost importance not only for our constituents in the surrounding communities and the State of Maryland, but also for the entire country," the lawmakers wrote.

"Every day that research at the IRF-Frederick is halted, our nation's readiness to respond to biological threats and life-threatening, emerging public health crises is at risk," the lawmakers continued. "Preserving the safety, integrity, and continuity of NIH research is essential to maintaining U.S. leadership in biomedical research and innovation and to ensuring that the fruits of this research keep American families safe."

In their letter, the lawmakers request detailed information regarding:

  1. Existing safety protocols and standard operating procedures at IRF-Frederick to prevent and respond to exposures of pathogens, viruses, and other agents studied at the lab;
  2. The timeline of events leading up to the safety stand-down and actions taken by NIAID, NIH, and HHS leadership;
  3. The communications with the surrounding community and local officials, including emergency management and health department personnel regarding the alleged safety violation and implementation of the safety stand-down;
  4. The rationale for the research pause and projected timeline for resuming operations;
  5. The safety measures, training, and protocols in place to protect essential personnel maintaining the lab, animal models, and the Frederick community surrounding Fort Detrick;
  6. The status and timeline of the FBI investigation.

The lawmakers requested a full response from Secretary Kennedy and Director Bhattacharya by June 17, 2025.

A full copy of the letter is available HERE.

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Sarah Elfreth published this content on June 10, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 13, 2025 at 21:51 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io