Labs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "compromised" their ability to safeguard potential bioterror agents against loss or theft with repeated failures to follow security procedures, according to "restricted" inspector general reports USA TODAY obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
The three reports issued during 2010, 2009 and 2008 provide a rare outside assessment of CDC's safety and security performance in its work with dangerous "select agents" such as anthrax. CDC, which until recently inspected its own labs, has refused to release its inspection reports. The chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee says he'll be looking into the problems cited by the HHS IG.
The inspector general reports predate problems I reported on last summer with other problems at CDC's high-containment labs in Atlanta. Those included repeated issues with airflow systems designed to help contain dangerous pathogens and repeated problems with security doors left unlocked.
Read the full story and access links to copies of the IG reports at: CDC bioterror labs cited for security flaws in audits