Story highlights The employee was working with infected pigs when a split was found in the protective suit

The individual is now in self-isolation for 21 days

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(CNN) An employee at a Canadian government-run infectious disease lab may have been exposed to Ebola, health officials said Tuesday.

The incident occurred Monday at a level 4 containment lab at the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, which is part of the Canadian Science Center for Human and Animal Health in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The individual was working with pigs that had been infected with the deadly virus for research purposes. Researchers are trying to understand the immune reaction to the virus in pigs.

In accordance with safety protocols for protection against the highly contagious virus, the employee was donning a protective suit. However, a split in the seam of the protective suit was discovered during the standard decontamination process for leaving the lab, an indication that exposure to the virus may have occurred.

"Our employees are well aware of the risks and how to control them. All proper emergency procedures were followed," said Dr. John Copps, director of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the worker's employer.

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