A potentially dangerous bacterium was accidentally released in Louisiana from a high-security laboratory.
The bacterium is called Burkholderia pseudomallei. It was found in animals at the Tulane National Primate Research Center in Louisiana, which is situated just 35 miles north of New Orleans.
Authorities claim that there is no risk to the public, though the magnitude of the contamination remains unidentified after the safety breach at the research center.
According to the authorities the bacterium has not been detected at the facility’s outdoor grounds, though four rhesus monkeys that were kept outdoors have been accidentally exposed to it, fallen sick, and two of them have died.
But despite thorough investigation the cause of the release and extent of the contamination are still unknown.