CDC to spend $110M helping states track, prevent diseases

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced plans Monday to spend $110 million, $13 million more than 2014, to help states track and respond to infectious diseases. This year's funding, which is allocated through the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases Cooperative Agreement (ELC), includes $17.4 million to prevent and track foodborne illnesses, $4 million more than what was spent in 2014. The funds will be used to support the CDC's PulseNet surveillance system, which connects foodborne illness cases to DNA "fingerprinting" of bacteria, and help the Integrated Food Safety Centers of Excellence establish a new Northeast Regional center to respond to outbreaks.