Addenda (related case) CONFIRMED

During the American Anthrax Outbreak of 2001, CDC had a large backlog of environmental samples that needed immediate analysis for possible anthrax.  To do this, the organization contracted with multiple private laboratories.  In one such Texas facility, a laboratory worker on February 28, 2002 cut his jaw while shaving. The next day he moved vials of anthrax spores from a cabinet to a freezer without wearing gloves.  He then touched his chin, and became infected on March 1. During the next few days the shaving cut became larger and swollen, and the man experienced a low-grade fever.  On March 4, he went to a doctor for medical care.  The physician swabbed the lesion and gave it back to the worker who took it to his laboratory for analysis as anthrax.  Thereafter the laboratory staff contacted CDC which on March 7 sent a team of investigators. On March 12, 2002, CDC confirmed the specimen was Bacillus anthracis and that the patient likely had cutaneous anthrax. The case was initially deemed "suspected" for anthrax, since the positive specimen could have been due to laboratory contamination. The worker was admitted to a local hospital on March 5 for five days, was treated with antibiotics, and was discharged on March 9. Based on subsequent serial serologic, the patient on June 7 was declared a confirmed case.

Click for clinical details (MMWR) (4/5/02)

Click for news account of Texas laboratory worker (3/13/02)

Click for CDC update on Texas laboratory worker (3/13/01)

Click for follow-up of Texas laboratory worker (4/4/02)

Click for CDC case designation of Texas laboratory worker (6/7/02)