Probe of Military Labs Expands to Plague, Encephalitis

associated press ^ | Sep 10, 2015 | lolita c. baldor and robert burns

[Berlin_Freeper]

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expanding its investigation into possible mishandling and improper shipment by Defense Department laboratories of organisms that cause deadly diseases, including plague and encephalitis, U.S. officials said Thursday.

Concerns about the handling of those samples led the Army to announce a moratorium on production, shipping and handling of toxins at nine labs last week. But officials did not acknowledge until Thursday that plague and encephalitis samples were involved.

When asked why the Pentagon didn't disclose the new concerns about plague and encephalitis last week, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said that officials were trying to be as forthcoming as possible "without alarming the public."

[Buckeye McFrog]

And I’m sure the plague arrived postage due.

[Gen.Blather]

It seems to me that plague samples are at least as important as top secret documents and should be handled the same way. No one person should be left alone with them. There should be a two person rule and they should be hand carried from one location to another with two curriers.

When I did this we were given a letter on special stationary printed like a dollar bill. It had all the same safeguards. The letter required any official at any level to render assistance if we asked and it provided a 24 hour manned contact number to verify we had the authority to ask. (We were told not to use it to get out of a speeding ticket or to use a charter airplane unless we were being pursued. Or, there would be consequences when we returned.) We had to watch the letter be destroyed and everybody signed they’d witnessed the destruction.

[familyop]

Plague already resides in prairie dogs in the West, and microorganisms that cause encephalitis, in many places.

[Whenifhow]

Of possible interest