CDC employee vanishes after feeling sick and leaving work early

Mystery still surrounds the disappearance of a Centers Disease Control and Prevention employee, who was last seen leaving work early nearly two weeks ago.

Timothy Cunningham, a 35-year-old commander in the U.S. Public Health Service, left work sick on Feb. 12 and has not been heard from since, WSB reported.

His parents said they later discovered his phone, wallet, car and keys as well as his dog at his Atlanta home. They told officers it was unusual for Cunningham to leave his pup alone and to be out of touch for so long.

Eleven days later, search efforts for Cunningham have grown from small flyer campaigns to groups both large and small canvasing the local community.

“My first mind is that something has happened especially considering the length of time he’s been gone,” his brother Anterio Cunningham, told Fox 5 Atlanta.

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“Not having his phone, leaving his dog, Beau, alone, he just wouldn’t voluntarily check out like that.”

Other family members have also voiced their concern, with Cunningham’s mother issuing a heart-felt plea to her son during an appearance on NBC.

“Tim, if you see any of this information, please know that you can come back home,” she said. “We love and miss you. We just want you back in our arms.”

His father, Terrell Cunningham, said he’d been in contact with his son “extensively” on Sunday, Feb. 11.

“I pinpoint Sunday because there were some exchanges via phone as well as text that alerted me to be concerned about our son,” he said.

The CDC in a statement called Cunningham a “highly respected member of our CDC family.” A Harvard Graduate, Cunningham has played a pivotal role in addressing past public health emergencies — including the Ebola and Zika viruses.

Authorities in Atlanta are requesting anyone with information to phone the Atlanta Homicide/Adult Missing Persons unit. Cunningham is described as a 6-foot-tall black man with brown eyes and black hair. He weighs approximately 230 pounds.