Pentagon's Anthrax Scandal Continues To Grow

CNN: Pentagon: 51 labs in 17 states with questionable anthrax

Washington (CNN)The Pentagon may have unintentionally shipped live anthrax samples to 51 labs in 17 states and the District of Columbia, as well as three foreign countries, Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work announced Wednesday.

Work said he expects the numbers of labs suspected of receiving live anthrax to go up as the Pentagon continues its investigation into the shipments, some of them made via FedEx. When put in the mail, the samples were not believed to contain live samples of the disease.

There have been "no suspected or confirmed cases of anthrax infections" as a result of the shipments, Work said, explaining that the samples that were sent out had very low concentrations of the deadly disease, which could not infect the "average healthy individual."

"We know of no risk to the general public from these samples," Work emphasized.

WNU Editor: Will anyone get fired?

More News On The Pentagon's Anthrax Scandal

Report on the Pentagon's anthrax Scandal -- US Department of Defense
Dozens of Labs Received Potentially Live Anthrax Shipments, Officials Say -- NBC
Number of live anthrax shipments to labs expands, officials say -- USA Today
More mistaken anthrax shipments than first reported: US military -- AFP
Officials say anthrax not properly killed in Army lab was sent to dozens of locations -- AP
Pentagon: Live anthrax possibly shipped to at least 17 states and D.C. -- CBS
US anthrax scare widens to 51 labs in 17 states -- BBC
Live anthrax sent to 51 labs in 17 states and 3 nations – Pentagon -- RT