"CDC 24/7" frees moviegoers to enjoy "Contagion", rather than fear it

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- This week marks the release of Steven Soderbergh's newest blockbuster Contagion, a fast-paced epidemiological thriller that may unnecessarily alarm audience members about the nature of a genuine disease outbreak.

Life Technologies Foundation has teamed up with filmmaker Jesse Dylan and his production company Wondros to create a short form documentary entitled "CDC 24/7," which sheds light on the real-life work done by the CDC everyday to contain, prevent and control the kinds of situations depicted in Contagion.

The CDC Foundation is a non-profit organization that connects the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with private-sector organizations and individuals to build public health programs that make the world healthier and safer.  They have partnered with Life Technologies Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Life Technologies Corporation and dedicated to advancing science education and scientific discovery, to bring information to the public surrounding the release of Contagion.

Together, the two organizations have launched the website www.cdc247contagion.com as a resource to educate the public on the important role the CDC plays in controlling and mediating disease outbreak. The site also contains additional content on the latest technology that most recently helped scientist solve a deadly E. coli outbreak in Germany within days rather than months. "CDC 24/7" has the simple message that at any given moment, the CDC stands ready to protect the public from the next outbreak.

"CDC is committed to a single mission: keeping America safe from health, safety and security threats both foreign and domestic," says Charles Stokes, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. "Whether disease starts at home or abroad, human error or deliberate attack, CDC learns how to fight it and supports communities and citizens in preventing it. We are grateful for this unique partnership with The Life Technologies Foundation that is helping shine a light on CDC's central role in protecting our national health security."

Visit www.cdc247contagion.com to view "CDC 24/7" and to find out more about the work of the CDC, the CDC Foundation, and the Life Technologies Foundation.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110216/MM49339LOGO)

Wondros Global Contact:
Patrick McGovern
323.951.0010
[email protected]

For more information about the film, or to schedule an interview with Jesse Dylan, contact Elizabeth Richardson at 323.951.0010.

Life Technologies Foundation Contact:
Mauricio Minotta
760.929.2456
[email protected]

SOURCE Life Technologies Foundation