CDC Reports Possible Ebola Exposure for Lab Workers

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Wednesday that workers in a lab in their Atlanta headquarters may have been exposed to a live strain of the Ebola virus.

Citing a statement from the CDC, a story from ABC News said the incident reportedly involved working with items that "may have contained," a live strain of the virus. The CDC statement noted that the researchers believed the items did not contain the live virus as they were moved from one lab in the facility to another.

As a result, and with the CDC unable to confirm if the researchers were exposed to a live strain one of the employees will be observed during the 21 day incubation period while another group of employes will be assessed. The CDC did not confirm how may were going through the assessment process.

CDC Director Tom Frieden said he was "troubled by this incident in our research laboratory in Atlanta."

Frieden said this event goes against other efforts the CDC has undertaken to ensure proper handling of potentially deadly and dangerous items. "Thousands of laboratory scientists in more than 150 labs thoughout the CDC have taken extraordinary steps in recent months to improve safety." He added, "No risk to staff is acceptable, and our efforts to improve lab safety are essential-- the safety of our employees is our highest priority."