Lab might not survive budget cuts - TREVOR HUGHES, Coloradoan

Researchers at a federal lab in Fort Collins face a budget cut that could mean the loss of more than 100 jobs dedicated to fighting infectious diseases such as West Nile virus and yellow fever. Colorado's Congressional delegation is mobilizing to shore up support for the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, or DVBD, a Fort Collins-based lab that's part of the Atlanta-based federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The labs are on land owned by Colorado State University at its Foothills Campus west of the city and employ about 258 people. Division director Lyle Petersen said the president's budget calls for a cut of at least $7 million and possibly much more. He said it could also mean the loss of 100 jobs at state and county health departments around the country - positions currently funded by his division.