Live Anthrax Was Accidentally Shipped To Canada, Too

A few days ago the Department of Defense announced that a government lab located in Dugway, Utah had accidentally sent live anthrax to nine labs located throughout the United States, as well as a joint military lab in South Korea. Those numbers have since grown. The Department of Defense and Centers for Disease Control have been investigating the matter, and there was (and still is) no known risk to the general population. Now it has been revealed that three labs located in Canada also received live anthrax shipments.

The announcement was made yesterday evening, with officials from the Department of Defense confirming that three Canadian labs also received shipments of the specimen. This brings the total number of recipients up to a dozen states, Washington D.C., and three countries.

The reason for the shipments was, according to the Pentagon, belief by the Utah researchers that they were shipping inactive versions of the anthrax strains. The specimens were to be used for research projects. One source speaking to USA Today says that no one has been infected by the anthrax.

An investigation is still underway to determine if any more samples of the anthrax was shipped out. As of the latest statement from the CDC yesterday, a minimum of 28 labs in the United States, not including ones in Washington DC, has received the live anthrax. Investigators are also examining how the anthrax passed the inactivation procedures.

SOURCE: USA Today