CDC Report on the Potential Exposure to Anthrax

Int Microbiol. 2014 Jun;17(2):119-27. doi: 10.2436/20.1501.01.214.

Abstract

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted an internal review of an incident that involved an unintentional release of potentially viable anthrax within its Roybal Campus, in Atlanta, Georgia. On June 5, 2014, a laboratory scientist in the Bioterrorism Rapid Response and Advanced Technology (BRRAT) laboratory prepared extracts from a panel of eight bacterial select agents, including Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis), under biosafety level (BSL) 3 containment conditions. These samples were being prepared for analysis using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry, a technology that can be used for rapid bacterial species identification.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anthrax / microbiology*
  • Anthrax / prevention & control
  • Bacillus anthracis / chemistry
  • Bacillus anthracis / genetics
  • Bacillus anthracis / physiology*
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.
  • Containment of Biohazards
  • Humans
  • Laboratories
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Occupational Health
  • United States