(September 25, 2007)--Inspectors with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention repeatedly found troubling security mishaps in Texas A&M's biodefense program.

The Dallas Morning News reports the reviews happened over a three-year period.

But the annual inspections failed to discover that one worker became infected last year with Brucella and three others were exposed to "Q" fever.

Both diseases, highly contagious in animals, are rarely fatal in humans but can cause high fever and flu like symptoms.

Reports of the inspections, obtained by The Morning News, found various problems, including unauthorized workers with access to infectious diseases; improper storage of dangerous agents and infected animals, and inadequate security plans, training procedures and record keeping.

An Austin-based bioweapon watchdog group called The Sunshine Project first disclosed earlier this year that workers were exposed to some toxic agents.

As a result, two A&M research officials have resigned. CDC officials have halted the university's federally funded "select agent" research.

A&M officials hope to have their program running again by year's end.

CDC hasn't offered any explanation for its oversights, but says the biosafety inspections are comprehensive and workers use a checklist of nationally recognized safety standards.

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