Operations at two government research laboratories in Atlanta have been shut down and the transfer of biological materials in or out of other laboratories has been halted in response to a slew of recent missteps in the handling of potentially deadly pathogens.
Five incidents of protocol breaches have occurred where dangerous biological materials such as anthrax, botulism and deadly strains of bird-flu virus were improperly sent to other laboratories over the past decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday. CDC labs have been at the center of controversy recently regarding lapses in safety protocol, including an incident last month that resulted in more than 80 employees being exposed to live anthrax that was unknowingly sent to another CDC laboratory, according to an incident report (PDF) the agency released Friday. So far, none of the workers have reported illness due to exposure, according to the agency.