Pentagon mistakenly sends live anthrax to nine US states and South Korea

There are no suspected or confirmed cases of anthrax infection in potentially exposed lab workers, says Pentagon spokesman

The Pentagon has accidentally shipped live samples of deadly anthrax to the country's private laboratories in nine states and bases in South Korea.

An investigation has been launched into the major lapse on part of a laboratory of the Department of Defense.

"There is no known risk to the general public, and there are no suspected or confirmed cases of anthrax infection in potentially exposed lab workers," said Steve Warren Pentagon spokesman.

The Department of Defense (DOD) is collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in their investigation of the inadvertent transfer of samples containing live Bacillus anthracis, also known as anthrax, from a lab in Dugway, Utah, to labs in nine States, he said.

"One sample of Anthrax was also sent to the Joint United States Forces Korea (USFK) Portal and Integrated Threat Recognition Program at Osan Air Base," Warren said.

The DoD lab was working as part of a DoD effort to develop a field-based test to identify biological threats in the environment, he said.

"Out of an abundance of caution, DoD has stopped the shipment of this material from its labs pending completion of the investigation," Warren said.