Continuing Enhanced National Surveillance for Prion Diseases in the United States

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking to award funding through a cooperative agreement to sustain and enhance national surveillance for human prion diseases, also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, in the United States for fiscal year 2027. The primary objective is to maintain an active, standardized system for confirming suspected cases through advanced diagnostic methods that require specialized laboratory capabilities, as definitive diagnosis of these invariably fatal conditions can only be achieved via brain tissue analysis. Many healthcare facilities lack the expertise or the infrastructure to safely handle and process such specimens due to infection control concerns, making centralized diagnostic support essential. Since 1997, CDC has supported a designated center for this purpose, enabling consistent case confirmation, tracking of disease trends, and identification of disease subtypes, all critical for public health monitoring. This continuing effort relies on a highly collaborative model, with CDC epidemiologists working closely with the funded center’s staff to interpret data, guide surveillance priorities, and evaluate potential emerging threats. The program has played a pivotal role in ensuring the reliability of national data and in confirming that novel prion disease forms, such as those potentially linked to chronic wasting disease in animals, have not emerged in the U.S. population. The funding will support state-of-the-art diagnostic techniques, personnel, laboratory operations, and ongoing data sharing mechanisms to maintain robust, nationwide surveillance. The point of contact for inquiries is Lisa Angel at the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, and the solicitation is listed as a forecast with an anticipated posting date in July 2026.