The Centers for Disease Control, founded here in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center, originally focused on malaria control but now handles a wide range of public health issues. In this 1988 photo, Bertha Farrah, left, and Gilda Perez, medical technologists at the CDC virology lab, work in the maximum containment lab for the most dangerous viruses. The pair work wearing 15-pound laminated plastic suits connected to oxygen lines. RICH ADDICKS / AJC FILE