CDC lab director resigns after Anthrax incident
Michael Farrell, the director of the CDC's Bioterror Rapid Response and Advanced Technology Laboratory (BRRAT) in Atlanta, has resigned from his post, the CDC confirmed Wednesday.
Farrell's departure comes after reports that government employees may have been exposed to live anthrax when samples that weren't properly inactivated left the BRRAT lab last month. He is the first CDC employee to resign over the incident.
The CDC reported in June that proper deactivation procedures were not observed, and the live bacteria was passed on to other labs. No workers, however, contracted the disease. As the CDC conducted its investigation, Dr. Farrell was reassigned last month, Time reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
Magazine solutions - November 14, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - November 14, 2025
-
Israel jolted by ‘shocking’ settler violenceIN THE SPOTLIGHT A wave of brazen attacks on Palestinian communities in the West Bank has prompted a rare public outcry from Israeli officials
-
Magazine printables - November 14, 2025Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - November 21, 2025
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
