Labs ordered to destroy flu virus

Labs ordered to destroy flu virus
BBC News
Wednesday, 13 April, 2005

Some 4,000 laboratories in 18 countries have been asked to destroy potentially lethal influenza samples that were accidentally included in testing kits.

The samples are of a strain that killed up to four million people globally in 1957 but disappeared by 1968.

Klaus Stohr of the World Health Organization (WHO) told the BBC that people born after 1968 did not have antibodies against the virus.

"If the virus gets loose, it can easily cause an influenza epidemic," he said.

"If this virus were to infect one person, it would spread very rapidly."

Terrorism worries

The College of American Pathologists sent out the kits over the last few months.

The company has written to the laboratories affected - of which 61 are outside the US - asking them to destroy the samples.

Given the concerns that the virus could be used in bio-terrorism, letters were sent to the laboratories before the mistake was made public.

Dr Stohr said the company had acted in full compliance with US regulations, which are now being revised.

"The risk is considered to be low... but as long as this is out it is possible laboratory technicians can become infected," he said.

The WHO is giving its backing to the appeal.

It is hoped the laboratories will have destroyed the vials by the end of the week.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4439053.stm

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