Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Live anthrax sent to Delaware lab, officials say

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that an anthrax sample shipped to a private Delaware lab was live.

State Department of Public Health officials released the information to media late Monday after the CDC notified them of the results Friday.

They say the culture grew a low amount of bacteria, indicating the amount of live bacteria shipped was “minor” and “significantly less dangerous” than if it had been more concentrated.

DPH learned of the spore shipment from the U.S. Defense Department May 23 and immediately shut down the lab. DPH did not release the name of the lab.

One person directly handled the sample and is being treated with antibiotics, as are an unknown number of people associated with the lab.

State officials are working with the CDC to decontaminate the lab. It had originally been scheduled to start by May 30, but now is expected to begin sometime this week.

Several states, including California, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia also received spore samples sent from an Army base in Utah.

Related Content