Following news that the U.S. military inadvertently sent live anthrax samples to a lab at Osan Air Base, South Korean health authorities have begun an inspection of the site.
 
An official of The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said Friday inspectors will look into whether the U.S. Forces Korea thoroughly closed off the laboratory in question and whether sterilization has been conducted properly.
 
The official said the inspectors will also look into whether the anthrax sample was delivered to the base in an airtight container in accord with regulations.
 
The U.S. Defense Department disclosed on Wednesday that an inadvertent transfer of samples containing live anthrax took place from a Pentagon laboratory in Dugway, Utah to labs at Osan Air Base and nine U.S. states during the past year.
 
Anthrax agents are highly contagious and have often been used as a biological weapon. In the U.S., it is mandatory to move anthrax samples in a dead or inactive state when transferring them for research purposes.