Two years ago, Andrew Speaker gained worldwide attention when his wedding travels took him to several countries, in spite of the fact he was warned not to travel at all because he had just been diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). Travel he did. And the world followed.
Now Speaker is suing the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for ‘unlawfully and unnecessarily’ revealing his identity and private medical data. Speaker says his marriage never survived the media blitz and his career as a plaintiff’s attorney has suffered as well.
In May 2007, Speaker flew from the United States to Europe for his wedding and honeymoon. He knew before leaving that he had TB and his doctors advised him against the wedding abroad.
Once in Europe, Speaker was notified that his TB was caused by a particular strain of the disease that is extremely resistant to the drugs most often used to treat TB. Public health officials feared for his safety but they also feared the potential spread of the drug-resistant disease if someone became contaminated while flying in the same plane as Speaker or by coming in contact with him in other public or social settings. Speaker was warned to avoid international flights.
To circumvent any suspected difficulties re-entering the US via incoming international flights, Speaker flew from Europe to Canada before returning to the US via car across the Canadian border.
Once home, Speaker became the first American to be placed under quarantine since 1963. He was quarantined in a Denver hospital until further tests revealed Speaker did not have the extremely drug-resistant strain of TB but a milder one instead.
Speaker’s plight brought him death threats and so much mental anguish that his career has suffered. So has his new marriage. The publicity was so invasive the newlyweds split up even before filing their marriage license. Speaker claims none of this would have happened if the CDC had guarded his identity more effectively and had complied with its statutory duties.
