CDC Lab Director In Anthrax Incident Resigns

The director of the bioterror lab involved in an incident which caused over 80 lab workers to be potentially exposed to anthrax has resigned.

Michael Farrell, head of the Centers for Disease Control’s Bioterror Rapid Response and Advanced Technology Laboratory had submitted his resignation on Tuesday. The resignation was first reported by Reuters and has been confirmed by TIME.

Last month, the CDC reported that procedures to deactivate anthrax when leaving a lab were not followed and that while the workers were protected, the bacteria was passed to other labs. When it was determined that anthrax had not been deactivated, the labs and CDC building were shut down and decontaminated. Lab workers have not contracted the disease.

Last month, Dr. Farrell was reassigned as the CDC conducted its investigation. Earlier this month, CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden said the incident was due to a lack of oversight, and that the CDC would increase safety precautions.