- 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.
-
- © BBC MMV
-
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4439053.stm
|
