Giving out what he thought was the number to the Florida Department of Health's toll-free, 24-hour meningitis hotline, Gov. Rick Scott inadvertently sent the residents of his state to obtain information on the deadly outbreak from a phone sex operator.

Local NPR-member radio station WUSF was first to pick up on the flub after readers wrote in to say the number read aloud by Scott at a cabinet meeting earlier this week lead to a phone sex line that featured a female voice thanking callers for "calling me on my anniversary."

After informing the governor's office of the error, a spokesman told the station Gov. Scott mixed up a few digits, but the correct number was up on the Department of Health's website.

The governor also corrected himself twenty minutes later.

The meningitis outbreak, which is linked to a steroid used to treat chronic pain, has spread to 10 states and claimed the lives of at least 12 people.

[photo via AP]