Mysterious 'Smallpox' Vials Found In Eastern PA: CDC

PHILADELPHIA — Vials labeled "smallpox" were found in the Philadelphia area recently, according to the CDC and news sources.

According to Yahoo News, the vials were found in a freezer Monday night at a Merck facility outside Philadelphia per a Department of Homeland Security alert.

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The outlet reports the alert said of the 15 vials found, five were labeled as "smallpox."

According to the CDC, frozen vials labeled "smallpox" were incidentally discovered by a laboratory worker while cleaning out a freezer in a facility that conducts vaccine research.

The laboratory worker who discovered the vials was wearing gloves and a face mask.

There is no indication that anyone has been exposed to the small number of frozen vials, the CDC said.

Merck's closest facilities to Philadelphia are in West Point and Upper Gwynedd.

Yahoo reports the FBI and CDC are investigating the incident.

According to the CDC, smallpox was a serious infectious disease caused by the variola virus before being eradicated. Smallpox spread from one person to another and people who had smallpox had a fever and a distinctive, progressive skin rash.

Most people with smallpox recovered, but about three out of every 10 people with the disease died. Many smallpox survivors have permanent scars over large areas of their body, especially their faces. Some are left blind.

Smallpox was eradicated through vaccinations, and no cases of naturally occurring smallpox have happened since 1977. The last natural outbreak of smallpox in the United States occurred in 1949.

Patch has reached out to the FBI for more information on the incident and will update the story when additional details are made available.