WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first detected the wrongful practices at a military laboratory in the state of Maryland, USA Today reported.
The discovery was made during inspections conducted following the Defense Department’s revelation in May that its Utah facility unintentionally sent live anthrax spores to laboratories in 20 US states and seven foreign countries.
The bubonic plague and encephalitis specimens found in the labs posed no threat to the general public or to researchers, according to media reports.
On September 2, US Army Secretary John McHugh ordered a research moratorium and safety assessment of nine military laboratories involved in handling live agents and toxins.