PRESS RELEASE: New Federal Portable Biocontainment Unit (PBCU) Put to the Test in National Health Security Exercise Ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026

Share this article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

New Federal Portable Biocontainment Unit (PBCU) Put to the Test in National Health Security Exercise Ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026

NETEC and Partners Support First Training Deployment of PBCU and Testing the Readiness of the National Special Pathogen System

June 25, 2025

The National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) is proud to support the first operational deployment of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) new Portable Biocontainment Unit (PBCU)—a pivotal component of Tranquil Passport, the largest full-scale exercise (FSE) of its kind in HHS history.

Led by the HHS Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), this four-day national exercise, which kicked off today, tests the United States’ ability to isolate and safely transfer multiple patients with high-consequence infectious diseases (HCID) during a simulated international health emergency. The event is timed in preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will draw millions of visitors to North America, amplifying the need for advanced biosafety infrastructure and coordination.

The PBCU enables secure long-range transport of multiple patients with suspected or confirmed HCID. Tranquil Passport is the first time the PBCU has been activated under field conditions, offering valuable data to refine future operations and real-world response.

“Tranquil Passport lets NETEC evaluate and refine how innovations like the PBCU integrate with our specialized training and operational frameworks—so that when every second counts, teams across the national network are ready to act with precision,” said Vikramjit Mukherjee, MD, NETEC Co‑Principal Investigator at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue.

The exercise also marks a major milestone for the National Special Pathogen System (NSPS)—a nationwide, tiered network of healthcare facilities spanning frontline hospitals to advanced biocontainment treatment centers. NETEC, which serves as the Congressionally designated Coordinating Body for the NSPS, played a key role in planning and supporting the exercise.

“This exercise allows us to put the NSPS into motion in a way that mimics the scale and complexity of a true international health crisis,” said Aneesh Mehta, MD, NETEC Co‑Principal Investigator at Emory University. “It’s an opportunity to evaluate coordination across jurisdictions and demonstrate that the system we’ve built—from frontline screening to highly specialized care—is ready for the world stage.”

Simulating a cross-border health event that began in Toronto, Canada, the exercise activated multiple Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTCs). These facilities—including Johns Hopkins Hospital, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Children’s National Hospital, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, Emory University Hospital, and the University of North Carolina Medical Center—received simulated patients to test specialized protocols for infection control, transport, and clinical care.

“This exercise brings together healthcare clinical teams, public health agencies, emergency medical services, and emergency managers to test our ability to make rapid, well-informed decisions under pressure—critical for successfully navigating the complexities of a global gathering,” said John Lowe, PhD, NETEC Co‑Principal Investigator at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Key Capabilities Tested:

• PBCU Deployment: First field test of a unique, multi-patient biocontainment transport platform.
• NSPS Activation: Testing real-time coordination and patient movement across a tiered national system of care.
• Multi-Agency Coordination: More than 50 partners from federal, state, local, international, and nongovernmental sectors collaborated on planning and execution.

This full-scale exercise builds on previous national NSPS and ASPR exercise events focused on mass gatherings and HCID threats and reinforces ASPR’s and NETEC’s shared commitment to global health security.

MEDIA CONTACT: Veronica Lavarro, Communications Director

Email: communications@netec.org / lavarrom@nychhc.org

ABOUT NETEC

The National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) sets the gold standard for special pathogen preparedness and response across U.S. health systems. Established in 2015 following the treatment of Ebola patients in 2014, and funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), NETEC builds on the expertise of Emory University, the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and the Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center network. As the Congressionally designated Coordinating Body for the National Special Pathogens System—a nationwide, tiered system of care—NETEC strengthens frontline readiness through training, technical assistance, research, and the development of best practices to enhance national health security.