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Friday, July 11, 2014

CDC Laboratory Safety Errors: The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

After watching newly released The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, I viewed the announcement from the the Director of the US Center for Disease Control about the CDC's recent safety errors flowing from cross contamination of viruses.

One cannot miss the "CDC" logo on the vehicles all over the movie and references to the mutated laboratory virus that was accidentally released and killed most the US population.

The CDC reported today:

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report today that reviews the early June incident that involved the unintentional exposure of personnel to potentially viable anthrax at the CDC’s Roybal Campus. The report identifies factors found to have contributed to the incident; and highlights actions taken by the agency to address these factors and prevent future incidents. Based on a review of all aspects of the June incident, CDC concluded that while it is not impossible that staff members were exposed to viable B. anthracis, it is extremely unlikely that this occurred. None of the staff who was potentially exposed has become ill with anthrax."

Bottom line is that CDC cross contaminated deadly pathogens and potentially exposed workers subjecting both them and the population at large to deadly viruses.

Scary as it sounds, it happened. Safety protocols of all laboratory workers need dramatic improvement. That improvement should begin with our Government setting a better example for all of us to follow.