Louisiana To Ebola Experts: Stay Away

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal speaks at the 2014 Values Voter Summit in Washington, Friday, Sept. 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Louisiana state officials wants scientists and medical researchers who have dealt with Ebola patients not to come to the state’s annual American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene conference next week in New Orleans.

In a letter to the organization, reported by Bloomberg News, the heads of Louisiana’s health and homeland security departments effectively disinvited those who have recently cared for Ebola patients.

“In Louisiana, we love to welcome visitors, but we must balance that hospitality with the protection of Louisiana residents and other visitors,” the officials said. “We regret that some of our attendees may be affected by the state’s travel advisory and we request your cooperation.”

The letter came after Louisiana banned individuals from using public transportation if they have treated Ebola patients within the last 21 days.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Time for the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene to start holding their conferences in another state.

  2. Avatar for sjk sjk says:

    #IAmNotAScientist

  3. “In Louisiana, we love to welcome visitors, but we must balance that hospitality with the protection of Louisiana residents and other visitors,”

    In Louisiana, we love to welcome visitors, but we must balance that hospitality with the needs of the GOPers/Teatrolls in control of the state to manufacture as much perceived reason for panic as possible something something did we mention the POTUS is blah?

    FIFY

  4. And if the researchers do go to Louisiana, then what? In what way is this letter legally binding? How the hell is the state going to even know?

    This is just puffery and posturing for the fear-addled teabagger Fox News sheeple.

  5. I just read the linked Bloomberg article. One of the virologists affected is on staff at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans. He said he’s going to attend anyway. Piyush may have started something he can’t finish. Does anyone really think that doctors are going to roll over?

    Tropical diseases thrive in warm, wet, rural conditions that often have poor sanitation, said Robert Garry, a virologist at Tulane University in New Orleans. Ebola is considered a tropical disease, said Garry, who said he received the letter and may attend the meeting.

    “We want people to be able to come back from these regions and discuss and share what they’ve learned,” Garry said in a telephone interview. “That’s what these meetings are all about.”

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

76 more replies

Participants

Avatar for doremus_jessup Avatar for lestatdelc Avatar for dr_coyote Avatar for marnold Avatar for sysprog Avatar for jloomis3 Avatar for flownover Avatar for toodumbtoknow Avatar for radicalcentrist Avatar for scottnatlanta Avatar for krusher Avatar for 600poundsofsin Avatar for bradbennett Avatar for twicetheprice Avatar for borisjimbo Avatar for breakingdeadmen Avatar for stephen_maturin Avatar for ottnott Avatar for leeks Avatar for andy49 Avatar for occamsrazor2 Avatar for sjk Avatar for antisachetdethe Avatar for sashasmom

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: