| The director of the Sunshine Project, an Austin-based watchdog group, is alleging that Texas A&M researches working with Coxiella burnetti, otherwise known as “Q-Fever,” were infected with the biological agent and went unreported to the Centers for Disease Control.
If this is true, it is an irresponsible cover-up that violates the federal Bioterrorism Act.
"A&M's infection of its staff and students with bioweapons agents and its serial violations of [federal regulations] demand law enforcement," said Edward Hammond,
A CDC spokesman claims an investigation is continuing, but that the Inspector General of the Health and Human Services Department would administer any penalty. That alone lets you know A&M will get a slap on the wrist, need we forget this is the home of 41’s library, Rick Perry's Alma Mater and Robert Gates former post?
It is extremely concerning to me that not even a simple report could be filed by anyone related to this incident, or an apparent past incident where trained individuals were infected with a biological weapon agent.
All this time we thought the threat of bioterrorism was from actual terrorists, but little did we know it would actually come from our own university researchers right here in the heart of Texas.
I wonder how citizens of Bryan College Station feel about Texas A&M infecting personnel with bioterrorism agents and not reporting it either to the CDC or letting the public know of the incident at the time.
Obviously the sanctity of Texas A&M was more important then the safety and security of the citizens at large. What other biological agents are housed at A&M, and if were released could do more damage then Coxiella burnetti? Even if they were released we'd be the last to know, as would the CDC.
What kind of university are you running down there? |
