A laboratory technician at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may have been exposed to the Ebola virus Wednesday and is currently being monitored for signs of the virus.
The individual, who is located in Atlanta, may have come into contact with the live virus, the Associated Press reported. The sample was contained in an enclosed plate, but was not supposed to be handled or moved. The worker will not be under surveillance for 21 days.
The lab has now been decontaminated twice and the other CDC workers and general public are not believed to be at risk of infection. Transfers from the lab have been halted until further notice.
Ebola is spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected individual, which puts health care workers and others in close contact with people suffering from the virus at the highest risk of infection.
The accident comes after at least 52 workers at the CDC were instructed to take antibiotics after they were potentially exposed to anthrax in June. The recent string of accidents has called into question the safety of the CDC's practices.
"I am speechless. This is yet another indication that this organization needs to do a serious soul searching to improve its safety culture," Najmedin Meshkati, a professor of industrial and systems engineering at the University of Southern California and an expert on human error told the New York Times.
Richard H. Ebright, a molecular biologist at Rutgers University believes the errors are "inexcusable" and labs that produce samples of killed viruses should take additional action to ensure they are actually dead.
The CDC plans the publish a report on the accident and further review the problem, the AP reported.
"I have directed that there be a full review of every aspect of the incident and that CDC take all necessary measures," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, the AP reported.
