Utah
Utah lab works with CDC to develop bird flu test
SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah laboratory is now working with the CDC to prepare for potential virus outbreaks in the future. Their first task focuses on testing for avian influenza, also known as bird flu.
ARUP Laboratory applied for a grant with the CDC and was accepted, along with four other labs, to be contracted over the next five years.
Right now the lab is working to develop a test for the bird flu in case it is needed in the future.
This agreement comes after health officials discovered the 14th human case of bird flu in the U.S. in Missouri. The first case in the U.S. with no known source of the virus.
“The idea is we’re going to be ahead of the curve this time,” said Benjamin Bradley, MD, PhD, medical director for virology at ARUP Laboratory.
There is no current threat of the bird flu becoming a pandemic, as there is no evidence of human-to-human spread. However, the purpose behind CDC and commercial lab partnerships is to be prepared for any situation.
“We’re going to start developing these things early and have that infrastructure in place so that if we do have that instance where this becomes a bigger public health threat than it is right now, we have that test developed and ready to scale,” explained Bradley.
Beyond the bird flu
The agreement between ARUP Labs and the CDC can extend beyond the bird flu.
‘The idea is that over the next five years or so, if the CDC sees a need for additional testing for certain pathogens they can reach out to us,” said Bradley.
Bradley said early preparation for potential pandemic situations is one of the smartest things to be doing.
“In the relative scope of things, this is a minor amount of work, a minor amount of time to develop. But it could provide us such a huge protection at a national scale in responding,” said Bradley.
This initial grant is part of a larger series of potential grants the CDC may offer ARUP in the future.
“To be able to take on these grants for the CDC is a great opportunity for us to show… Salt Lake and the greater community the role that we can play in improving our responses to public health threats. I think it’s something we should really be proud of,” said Bradley.
Additional labs partnered with the CDC include Quest Diagnostics, Labcorp, Aegis Sciences, and Ginkgo Bioworks.
ARUP Laboratories is a nonprofit enterprise of the University of Utah and its Department of Pathology, as well as a national reference laboratory.
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Summit County Health Director Phil Bondurant said the early 2026 survey found men are suffering with significant mental and behavioral health challenges between the ages of 10 and 44. In the U.S., Bondurant said, suicide is the second leading cause of death, behind unintentional injury.
“It’s the eighth leading cause of death nationally across all ages of men,” he said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” June 8. “When we look at this in Utah, we are two times the national average in suicides, and when you look at men, three of the four suicides in the state of Utah are men.”
He said that’s disproportionate to women. Roughly 31 out of 100,000 suicide deaths in Utah are men while less than 9 deaths per 100,000 are women.
FULL INTERIVEW: Summit County Health Department Phil Bondurant
Bondurant said those statistics are related to men feeling isolated, experiencing depression and uncertainty about the future. But, he said the health department has worked to develop programs to break the stigma around men’s mental health and help people access care.
“It’s important that we remember that connection, conversation, help and support, just like our physical health, when we’re not feeling well or we break a bone, we go to the doctor, and they do what they do to help us get better and help our bodies mend,” he said. “Our mental health is the same way, we need to take care of it.”
He said uninsured residents that need help can call the health department and speak with the behavioral health team.
There is also a 24-hour 988 crisis hotline for people who need help or know someone who needs help. Utahns can also download the SafeUT app to speak with licensed counselors, submit safety tips and confidential help.
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