The nature of the incidents ranged from inventory issues to specimens in unapproved areas and a few possible occurrences of exposure. The errors transpired from early 2007 through January of 2011.
Laboratories operated by the CDC have faced federal referrals and permit suspension in recent years for safety violations. For instance, in 2014, a CDC lab technician was accidently exposed to live Ebola virus. In USA Today, Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, described the recent revelations regarding the CDC’s mishandling of bioterror germs as evidence of chronic negligence.
“And just when we thought the situation could not get any more distressing, it does,” Rep. Upton said.
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