The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a new statement about an internal investigation recently done that revealed errors that potentially exposed at least 80 workers to anthrax.
In a press brief on Friday July 11, 2014, CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden spoke of how he was "angered" and "disappointed" about what has happened. "The scientists failed to follow a scientifically derived and reviewed protocol that would have assured that anthrax was inactivated and that the material was confirmed to be sterile before it ever left the lab," he explained, as reported by KPLCtv 7 News.
Although no workers have shown any sign of illness, the labs that were exposed to the anthrax scare have been closed for now. In a separate incident, other labs were shut down due to accidental doses of highly-contagious bird flu being sent out, reports the New York Times. It is the H5N1 bird flu strain that has killed at least 390 people since 2003.
Each affected lab has been shut down for the moment, until new procedures and training can be implemented, Dr. Frieden said. This shut down should not have any affect on the upcoming vaccination period for next winter's flu season.