“I really enjoyed working with Animal Planet on this project and I was flattered that producers wanted to interview me. I think Killer Outbreaks is a great way to show the public what we do and how important it is to public health and safety” says RADM Ali Khan, Director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, during his interview for the new series Killer Outbreaks. RADM Khan is featured in the Blood Sport episode by talking about his experience with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). (Photo by Maggie Silver)

The TV network Animal Planet may be synonymous with our furry four-legged friends, but soon you will also know it for killer viruses and deadly disease outbreaks. Coming this spring, Animal Planet will air six episodes of their new series “Killer Outbreaks.”  Each episode features potentially deadly viruses and includes commentary from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) experts and victims of the outbreak. The show takes what many of CDC staff do for a living and turns it into a thrilling docu-drama.

The Pitch

In June 2009, “Whale Wars” producer Liz Bronstein came to CDC to pitch her idea for a TV-documentary about outbreaks that turn deadly. “Our office gets calls all the time from producers wanting CDC to help them make a pitch for a show or movie,” said Kristen Nordlund from the News Media Branch. This usually means the producers want CDC to come up with the ideas and footage, even though it’s the producers who will get the pay off. “But Liz was different. She had already thought through a lot of it and had a great start on the series.”

Nordlund helped Bronstein identify interesting outbreaks by going through past CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports. Bronstein and her team interviewed experts in infectious diseases, quarantine, influenza, bioterrorism, special pathogens, and staff from the Epidemic Intelligence Service.

In September 2009, Bronstein came back to CDC to shoot her pitch video, which she would show to executives at Discovery (Animal Planets parent company), in the hope that they would pick up the series. The video was only 18 minutes long and featured two viruses, E. coli and Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCMV). Putting together a pitch was the easy part. Discovery gave Bronstein the OK, but her real challenge was getting Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius’s approval. Luckily, Bronstein had found her show’s first fan in Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director of CDC. Frieden was able to persuade Secretary Sebelius to give producers the green light and after plenty of back and forth between lawyers, Killer Outbreak began production in March 2010.

Lights Camera Action

Animal Planet has six full episodes ready to air this season, and if all goes well producers will continue shooting for season two. In total producers interviewed 43 subject matter experts from across CDC (see the full list below). Even though speaking in front of a camera about complicated science isn’t always easy, Nordlund was impressed with how well everyone did. “You could really see how passionate everyone was about their field of work.”

Tune In

So what do drums and cookie dough have in common? They’re the culprits behind the first two outbreaks featured in the pilot episode of Killer Outbreak. As young women across the country begin to fall ill, doctors and scientist struggle to identify the cause. Watch for Karen Neil, Ian Williams, and Rob Tauxe talk about their experience pin pointing raw cookie dough as the cause of a nationwide E.coli outbreak. CAPT Clare Dykewitz, Conrad Quinn, and Sean Shadomy are also featured in the pilot, discussing their role in a case of inhalation anthrax contracted by a Brooklyn drum maker in 2006. This was the first instance of anthrax in the U.S. since the 2001 attacks and the first use of the experimental anthrax immunoglobulin.

Cancel your plans for Friday nights, the first episode aired April 15 at 9pm. Killer Outbreaks demonstrates that you don’t have to travel to exotic places to find bizarre outbreaks, they happen right here in our own backyards. And while everyone is vulnerable, there are scientists and doctors who are true heroes, ready and waiting for the next outbreak. Nordlund hopes that the show inspires younger viewers to become scientists, and that everyone remembers to wash their hands!

List of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

Killer Outbreak producers in the CDC studio in between takes. (Photo by Maggie Silver)

Kristen Nordlund from News Media Branch helped producers find and interview CDC subject matter experts for the show. (Photo by Maggie Silver)