BIOWEAPON SCARE: CDC halts research in Army labs

Alarm rasied over mishandled bioweapons.

Following the concern of live anthrax shipments from the Army lab in Utah, another Pentagon laboratory has been flagged due to suspected improper handling, mislabeling and shipment of other potentially dangerous agents of bioterrorism. Research moratorium has already been ordered on all bioweapon pathogens and viruses. Final results on tests are expected by the end of the month.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - USA Today reports The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had concerns on the handling of specimens derived from potentially dangerous bioterror weapons following last month's inspection at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center in Maryland.

Sloppy safety practices since the anthrax scare last May have been flagged, but bioterror agents are suspected to have been shipped live, which introduces a lot of risks. 

Army spokesman Dov Schwartz said there has been no danger found on those who had handled the vials. The real risk is to scientists who handle specimens that come with inaccurate "death certificates," indicating the pathogen is not infectious when the reality is that they are still alive.

Two of the more serious pathogens to have been mislabeled are the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus and Eastern equine encephalitis virus, which can cause rare but fatal illnesses that include brain inflammation. 

Concerns also extend to the Yersinia pestis, the plague-causing bacteria which is said to be responsible to the Black Death in 14th Century Europe. Millions of people died due to the illnesses brought about by the pathogen which can be treated by antibiotics today. 

The CDC explained that the plague can still kill about 11 percent of those infected despite modern-day antibiotics. The bacteria was found in the non-infectious store in the lab, but was found to be mislabeled by the CDC upon inspection.

"Anthrax being mishandled is disconcerting enough, but now the mishandling also includes other potentially dangerous viruses including plague. The committee has zero tolerance for these widespread mishaps and will continue working to ensure that the Department corrects these failures so that the nation's bioterrorism response efforts are not hampered further," said chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Frank Pallone, R-NJ, through a joint statement released Thursday.

CDC lab regulators refused questions but admitted, "CDC has identified a number of transfers of concern involving multiply organisms."

Army Secretary John McHugh ordered the research moratorium on September 2 following the discovery of anthrax bacteria on the floors of two rooms at the Utah facility.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'

Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online