The U.S. Army has mistakenly sent live anthrax samples to nine American State commercial laboratories and one air base in South Korea instead of the inactive samples of the bacteria, the Los Angeles Times reported.

These cultures originated from a Utah testing center but were sent out with the aim to "improve field testing for biological threats," the news site explained.

According to the Times, live spores were accidentally transported to laboratories seeking to "develop a new diagnostic test for anthrax" from the Army's Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. The U.S. Dugway facility is where "defense systems for chemical and biological weapons agents" are being tested. Deadly bacteria and viruses are part of these samples being studied.

The Pentagon Officials did not divulge the particular laboratories involved but named the concerned states the anthrax samples were transferred to, and they are California, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. The other live sample was accidentally transported to Osan Air Base in South Korea, where a program that "aims to boost biosurveillance capabilities on the Korean peninsula" is reportedly on site.

Pentagon statement

A Pentagon spokesman, Col. Steve Warren, issued a statement that no harm such as possible infections, have resulted from such a serious blunder.

"There are no suspected or confirmed cases of anthrax infection in potentially exposed lab workers," Warren informed.

An investigation requested by a private laboratory related to the case will be conducted with the help of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC spokesman Jason McDonald also informed that CDC investigators were at Dugway, probing how the error in transfer took place, ABC News added. "At least 18 labs in nine states received sample kits containing 23 marked specimens and 2 controls. One of the controls was labeled 'antigen 1.' It was this vial that tested positive in one lab in Maryland. State health departments have done risk assessments and Maryland offered antibiotics to four lab workers due to possible exposure. Three of the four workers decided to take the antibiotics," said McDonald.

Another step in the investigation will be to confirm if all the laboratories involved did receive live samples of the deadly biological agent, noted the Times.

The CDC also announced in its statement that the public has nothing to worry about it at the moment. "At this time we do not suspect any risk to the general public," the CDC declared.

Anthrax, A Deadly Biological Agent

Anthrax, with a scientific name Bacillus anthracis, is a deadly form of bacterium and considered as a biological threat, more especially in its live form, the Times warned. Army protocol specifically instructs that these deadly biological agents should first be rendered inactive before undergoing further study.

The terror from receiving and mishandling live anthrax spores is unimaginable. In 2001, several weeks after the 9/11 attacks, five envelopes with anthrax spores were delivered to a number Congress member and the press. Among those 22 people who got infected, five died.