Thomas Duncan, the first Ebola patient in the U.S., died Wednesday morning in Dallas, and Texas A&M officials and resources are responding to the arrival of Ebola to the state.
The task force, charged with state preparedness for infectious diseases like Ebola, was formed Monday by Gov. Rick Perry and is led by Brett Giroir, vice president and CEO of the Texas A&M Health Science Center.
The task force also includes other experts associated with the Texas A&M system, including Scott Lillibridge, professor in the Health Science Center.
“It is important to note that the senior folks from A&M on this task force all headed up important stations in the federal government and biodefense in previous careers,” Lillibridge said. “It is really unique for a university to have gathered so much expertise in one place.”
Lillibridge said the task force is expected to review infectious disease preparedness on a whole, instead of isolating its work to Ebola.
“The task force is expected to, one, provide expert evidence-based assessments, protocols and recommendations related to the current Ebola response,” Lillibridge said. “Two, develop a comprehensive plan to make sure Texas is prepared for the potential widespread outbreak of infectious diseases such as the Ebola virus and other emerging diseases. And, three, serve as a reliable and transparent source for information.”
In addition to contributing faculty to the task force, the HSC is the only academic institution to lead a national Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing.
Hadley Smith, a public service and administration graduate student, worked in the A&M center for innovation over the summer. She said the center for innovation is focused on localized research as well as national health issues.
“The center is part of the national network that is being built to respond to emerging infectious diseases and a bioterrorism event,” Smith said.
The center for innovation may be called on to manufacture a vaccine for the Ebola virus and will be prepared in the case of other potential diseases.
“The health center is creating new ways to usher vaccines down the pipeline from basic research through actually producing the vaccines and being able to distribute it,” Smith said.