- 33 people in a college microbiology lab mistakenly believed they were exposed to a deadly germ, Neisseria meningitidis.
- 32 individuals took antibiotics and two underwent spinal taps as a precaution, but no actual exposure occurred.
- The lab exercise involved identifying a mystery bacterium, which was supposed to be harmless Plesiomonas shigelloides.
- All students identified the bacterium as N. meningitidis based on biochemical tests, but the lab lacked proper safety equipment like biosafety cabinets.
- The incident serves as a cautionary tale about lab safety and the potential for misidentification.