The point man in germ warfare

Clarence J. Peters, chief of the Special Pathogens branch of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), coordinates the CDC's response at home and overseas to lethal diseases. Peters' most recent crisis began in May, when he sent a team to Zaire to fight the Ebola virus. The team returned with specimens for analysis. Peters' group may be on the verge of solving a mystery that began in 1976, with the first of 4 previous Ebola outbreaks. Whether they do or not hinges on whether Peters can get the resources he needs. Budget woes has decreased Peters' staff to 26 persons, and although the CDC funds are not yet eyed for a reduction, Peters and his staff must constantly explain why the US should be fighting diseases like Ebola in far-off Africa.