“There is no indication that anyone has been exposed to a small number of these frozen bottles,” the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement CNN, Wednesday (17/11).
“The laboratory worker who found the vial was wearing gloves and a face mask. We will provide further details if available,” the CDC said.
Smallpox, also known as variola, was declared eradicated in 1980 by the World Health Organization (WHO) following global vaccination efforts. Prior to that, the virus, which easily passed from person to person, infected 15 million people a year and killed about 30 percent of them. The last known outbreak in the US was in 1947.
Two of the vials contain live virus. The CDC said at the time there was no evidence anyone had been exposed to the contents of any of the bottles.
The government has been debating whether to keep samples of the virus or destroy all known copies. Most routine vaccinations were discontinued in 1972, but military personnel and some researchers are still vaccinated.
The CDC recommends that people get a smallpox booster every 3-5 years to stay protected.
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