CDC probes A&M bioweapons infections

Here is a scary story. The Dallas Morning News’s Emily Ramshaw reports that federal authorities are investigating two cases from last year in which Texas A&M researchers were infected with biological weapons agents. Also under investigation is the fact that the Aggies failed to report the exposures when they happened. Documents show three researchers tested positive for exposure to the weapons agent Q fever in April 2006, two months after another researcher fell ill following contact with the agent Brucella. In neither case did university officials immediately report the exposures to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), as federal law requires. They filed a report on the Brucella case a year after the initial infection, and CDC officials said Tuesday that they still haven’t received documentation on the Q fever case.

Brucella is a bacteria which causes brucellosis, an infectious disease which is rare in the United States, but affects livestock and can be transmitted to humans. Humans can be infected by direct contact with animals, eating food tainted with the bacteria, or inhaling it in aerosol form. The symptoms are flulike, and if not treated immediately, the disease can take months to resolve, even with antibiotics.

Q FEVER is an infectious disease caused by inhaling or ingesting a particular bacteria. It is contracted by breathing contaminated air or eating a contaminated substance. It is most common among farm workers, vets and people in close contact with animals. Most cases of the infection are mild, but about 3 percent of cases involve damage to the liver, the heart or the heart lining. Humans can easily be infected by animals, but human-to-human transmission is rare.

In a written statement, Texas A&M executive vice president and provost Jerry Strawser said the university is awaiting a CDC response on the investigations and would not comment further for now. “In response to this unfortunate incident, we have greatly strengthened our safety, training and reporting procedures,” he said.

Texas A&M’s bioterrorism lab work is part of a DHS and National Institutes of Health research effort which has awarded the university millions of dollars to study and seek vaccines for Brucella and Q fever, both of which are considered “terror agents” for biological warfare.

The federal “Select Agent Rule” requires those researching disease pathogens to report incidents within seven days of their discovery and file formal reports with the CDC. Fines or penalties for not filing are determined by the Health and Human Services inspector general and could result in lost federal funding.