The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director Thomas Frieden was reportedly considering forming an independent panel to regulate research on dangerous pathogens. The decision was made in the wake of a number of safety lapses in the lab, when researchers were handling toxic substances.
The CDC came under fire when its Atlanta lab mishandled samples of the anthrax virus, affecting more than 84 people. The investigation revealed the BioSafety Level 3 Facility violated some safety procedures in June. Then recently, the health agency disclosed that dozens of its workers might have been exposed to the bird flu strain in May before it was sent outside the CDC laboratory. Officials discovered the incident while investigating the mishandling of Anthrax.
Dr. Frieden called the bird flu safety lapse the "most distressing," as it posed public risk. CDC spokesperson Tom Skinner admitted that the agency failed to document the samples they were moving to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
"We thought we were sending H9N2," a far less dangerous form of bird flu, Skinner told Reuters. "We didn't know it was cross-contaminated."
To prevent such issues from occurring again, Dr. Frieden decided to form an independent panel consisting of experts who are not part of the CDC. In addition, he promised to overhaul the safety protocols in handling dangerous pathogens. The invites were sent out on Friday and the members of the independent panel might be announced within the week.
"What I missed, and what the staff of CDC missed, is that these isolated incidents did reflect a pattern," Frieden said, quoted by Bloomberg. "We have to take seriously above all, 'Do no harm.' Human error may be inevitable but harm shouldn't be."
Meanwhile, Dr Frieden also discussed other threats on public health after addressing the lab safety lapses. As part of the CDC's shift to more transparency, he warned about the growing trend of antibiotic-resistant bacteria often acquired inside the hospital. USA Today reported the regular use of antibiotics and similar drugs caused some bacteria to mutate, causing patients to go to the hospital for treatment of an ailment, then leave with another.
