The U.S. Centers for Disease Control confirmed that the head of the lab that potentially exposed some employees to the deadly anthrax virus last month abruptly resigned last week.

Head of Bioterror Rapid Response and Advanced Technology Laboratory, Michael Farrell submitted his resignation last Tuesday, said a CDC spokesman, after an anthrax scare was made public.

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Farrell has been the team leader since 2009 but an anthrax exposure that occurred between June 6 and June 13 posed a deadly risk for people getting exposed to the bacteria.

Some workers unknowingly sent live anthrax samples that were supposed to be deactivated to other researchers at CDC labs. Around 80 government lab workers were exposed to the bacteria.

Fortunately, none of the lab workers and researchers showed any signs of illness and were immediately offered treatment to prevent infection.

According to a CDC investigation report, the failure of the lab to use an approved sterilization technique caused this accidental exposure.

The unintentional contact was discovered last June 13 when original samples, which were already being gathered for disposal, were shown to contain some live samples of the bacteria.

The workers and researchers, believing that these samples were already deactivated, did not use personal protective gear while handling them.

CDC announced that this is only the latest security breach of the agency. In a series of accidents in the past years, researchers have mistakenly shipped other dangerous toxins and pathogens such as the H5N1 influenza virus.

CDC Director Tom Frieden expressed his disappointment stating that these events should never have happened.

In relation to these safety lapses, audits made by government inspectors and the Government Accountability Office documented numerous incidents, such as unlocked freezers and poor inventory records, that questions the agency's safety and security measures.

CDC spokesman Tom Skinner declined to release more information about Farrell's resignation including the names of officials who had asked him to resign. Farrell also declined any interview requests regarding his departure. 

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