Officials say a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lab technician has been placed under observation after possibly being exposed to the Ebola virus.
The Associated Press reports that the incident took place during an experiment at a laboratory in Atlanta on Tuesday:
The person working in a secure laboratory in Atlanta may have come into contact with a small amount of a live virus, CDC spokeswoman Barbara Reynolds said in an emailed statement. The experimental material was on a sealed plate, but wasn't supposed to be moved into the lab in which the technician was working, Reynolds said. The worker will be monitored for 21 days and the person's name hasn't been released.
Additional employees have been notified, but none has required monitoring, Reynolds said. Other staff will be assessed for exposure.
According to the Associated Press, the public is not at risk. The lab technician's possible exposure remains under investigation, and the Associated Press adds that the incident has been reported to Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell.
[via Associated Press]
