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More labs receive potentially live anthrax samples from U.S. military lab: Pentagon

Xinhua, June 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least 51 labs in 17 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia and three foreign countries have received potentially live anthrax samples, the U.S. Department of Defense said Wednesday.

That almost doubles the figure revealed last week, but Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work told a press briefing "the number may rise" as the investigation continues.

Work said his department found no indication the anthrax shipments sent from an army lab in Utah were a deliberate act.

Work confirmed that the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, the Pentagon's police force, is one of the locations that have received the anthrax samples, which was used to help calibrate sensors to detect chemical or biological agents.

The three countries that have received suspect samples were South Korea, Australia and Canada.

Pentagon officials insisted there is no known risk to the general public.

Last Friday, the department revealed 24 labs in 11 states as well as South Korea and Australia have received suspect samples. Endite