Potential Ebola Exposure in CDC's Atlanta Lab

An Ebola sample handled in one of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s less secure Atlanta labs has led to one technician potentially being exposed to the Ebola virus, according to media reports, including The Washington Post. There is no threat to the public, according to the CDC.

The technician has no symptoms and is being monitored for 21 days, a familiar timetable for symptoms to appear from the dangerous virus.

The CDC has been studying the Ebola virus as it has spread through West Africa, leading to the infection of American aid workers and travelers to the area. Two nurses in Texas also contracted Ebola while treating Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian who died from his infection in September.

The sample at the CDC was being used in an experiment at the time of the potential ebola exposure, according to NPR.

Ebola passes between people through direct contact with an infected person’s bodily fluid. The person has to be displaying symptoms at the time.

More:

• Nurse Free of Ebola Visits White House, Gets Hug from President Obama
• Talking To Your Children About Ebola: 4 Tips To Consider
• Ebola In Your Town: What’s The Plan?