The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention have closed two labs after it was found they had made dangerous mistakes when transporting pathogens like anthrax. The CDC’s director has called the errors “unacceptable” and potentially deadly.
In response to a series of laboratory blunders, the CDC announced the closure of two labs on Friday. The organization has also placed a temporary ban on the transportation of dangerous pathogens for high-security labs.
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A report carried out by the CDC revealed that over the past 10
years disease labs have mishandled potentially deadly pathogens.
“These events revealed totally unacceptable behavior,” said
CDS Director Tom Frieden to press on Friday. “They should
never have happened. I’m upset, I’m angry, I’ve lost sleep over
this, and I’m working on it until the issue is resolved.”
Frieden added that the staff involved had knowingly disregarded
laboratory protocol and would be disciplined accordingly.
The latest incident this year happened in June when as many as 75
CDC employees were exposed to a live strain of anthrax in
Atlanta, after failing to deactivate the deadly bacteria
according to lab protocol.
The potentially infectious samples of the pathogen were then sent
out to other laboratories ill-equipped to deal with them. Staff
members also handled the samples, which should have been
deactivated without following correct safety procedures.
The previous incident, which was disclosed on Friday, happened in
May when a sample of non-pathogenic avian influenza was
accidentally cross-contaminated with a potentially lethal kind of
flu (H5N1). No lab workers were exposed to the pathogen, but it
was shipped to a lab administered by the United States Department
of Agriculture.
Frieden said the most distressing aspect of the latter case was
that although it happened in May, the CDC only found out about it
this week.
The CDC says that there have been no reported infections after the two incidents and all workers involved had been offered vaccines and antibiotics.
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The latest revelations followed an announcement that two of six
vials of smallpox discovered in a research center in Washington
contained live strains of the virus. It is thought to be the
first time unaccounted traces of smallpox have been found in the
US after the disease’s declared eradication in the 80s.
Frieden argues that the latest findings are a sign that the world
needs to minimize the number of labs that deal with dangerous
pathogens.