Plague researcher dies of infection

A University of Chicago researcher studying the genetics of the plague bacteria died last week from an infection he may have gotten in the laboratory, officials said Saturday.

The researcher, 60-year-old molecular genetics Professor Malcolm J. Casadaban, died Sept. 13 at the University of Chicago Medical Center's Bernard Mitchell Hospital.

An initial autopsy showed that Casadaban "showed no obvious cause of death" except for the presence of the weakened strain of the plague bacteria Yersinia pestis in his blood, the U. of C. Medical Center said in a statement.

It is not known to cause illness and has been used in some countries as a vaccine to protect against the plague. It has been approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for lab studies.

University officials said there does not appear to be a public health threat related to Casadaban's death. There have been no illnesses reported by those who came into contact with him.

As a precaution, U. of C. notified Casadaban's close contacts once the bacteria had been identified in his blood. The medical center's infection control team is also working with the city and state health departments and the CDC to investigate the death.

Casadaban held degrees from Harvard, Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was also listed as a member of U. of C.'s Institutional Biosafety Committee, which reviews and approves research protocols involving the use of biohazardous materials.

He had been studying the genetics of harmful bacteria, including a strain of Yersinia pestis that lacked most of the bacteria's harmful components, the university said.

[Read More at Chicago-Sun Times]