Deadly Virus Released From Ohio Chem Lab
 

I Saw A News Story I saw on BBC's website About A Virus Called The "Asian Flu", It was accidently sent out to several labs in the world from a lab in Ohio. It was quickly noticed and is now being revised, but it makes you think.
I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba. And in my city is one of Canada biggest biochemistry labs, we were actualy the ones who first noticed the strange virus sent out. Anyways i dont really feel safe if a slip up can send out a virus that killed anywhere from 1 to 4 million people in 1957, all over the world, and since the virus disappeared, aside from some samples in labs, there was no vaccines made and if it were to have been opened by some oblivious person who didnt know what the unmarked package was, it could have caused a major epidemic, killing many people. I just wanted to know how others feel after finding out things like this can happen. Heres the link to the news article; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4439053.stm

Eh.. I learned long ago to just srot of accept that people are going to screw up. Even though people in positions like that should be above mistakes since their mistakes can cost the lives of millions, but they aren't.
It sort of makes you think about how safe it is to experiment and study viral strains. Despite all the precautions there are too many variables that could go horribly wrong and casue such tavesties as this. I personally think that minor set backsl ike this hsould not deter the research, but perhaps they could move some of the labs to more secluded areas so that if soemthing does go wrong, then with the exception of an airborne strain, they will be out in the middle of no where so they are the only ones that pose a real risk of getting it. Unless some animal gets it, mutates it, and gives it to soemone else causing a nice little Outbreak scenario...But even with an airborne strain we'd jsut worry about an animal gettign it and mutating it since most(I want to say all but not sure) viral strains that can be transmitted through the air can only survive short amounts of time outside of a human body...

Im in ohio but I guess um...I dont get any shots so Im safe? Anyway if they did make such a mistake they are dealing with it right now. Even if you say no the cops should come down and check it out...hopefuly *gulp*

And ya...we are humans we can alll make mistakes or make dumb rumors like these, if they are true well I guess we will once more be short on flu shots again. I thought of something...giveing flu shots to people who need them and um..."older" people frist is good for heath but if this deadly virus dose brake out well...there wont be much kids,teen young adults left now would there? but ya give it to people who are more likely to be sick best idea.

the actual story is that the virus was a strain of flu that people have not been immunized for since the 1950s - 1960s. It was sent by mistake to several labs in the country. Order now is that all virals with it are to be destroyed.

Not bioterrorism as people may think but an error of judgement that should of been dealt with earlier than now.

Well i guess we're all going to die now. See you all in 8-bit heaven. or hell.

Anyway, It hasn't reached epidemic proportions yet, so we should be safe. For the time being.

I think they should check things like this more carefully, it was all just a string of mistakes that led up to this near disaster, we are actualy lucky this happened like this, because now they may b more careful about whats being shiped in and out of these labs.

Or they could do what they always do.

Point fingers, say mistakes were made, promise they will do better, and then not deliver. And then go through this mess again 20 sumat years later.

This is from a second news article that was put on the BBC website today (The article can be found here. )

People in these labs do do a good job of picking apart viruses and trying to work out what is needed to come up with an antivirus or just track possible changes in a current virus. (Without a past version there would be nothing to compare new strains to and see what has changed.)

Granted it was a monumental error on their part, but I don't think anything will come of it. Even though as stated above 5 of those haven't been destroyed, the keyword is YET.

Also in the point made in the first post about it being opened by someone unsuspecting of what it was - that would not have happened. The Kits were sent out using a trusted delivery method, that is used to transport all their samples. So there would be very little chance of one of the packages being opened by the wrong hands.

(anyway, first post on a thread here so forgive me if I'm wrong.)

A couple of samples were sent to Singapore labs too. Fortunately the samples were promptly destroyed when somewhat smelled a rat about them.

Heads are going to roll at the main lab, though.

Monumental error is right, if putting it lightly.

The possibility, however remote, of these strains of viruses reaching the wrong hands must not, and cannot be ruled out until confirmation has been reached that all samples and derivatives have been destroyed... and even then, that's pushing our luck in trusting the word of men who may have something else to gain, IMHO. It boggles my mind how something such as this could happen. Granted, there are humans involved, mistakes will occur.... but potentially, how many lives are on the line for it? If the "right" wrong hands managed to get ahold of this.....

..it could turn into an attack that could make the holocaust look like a sunny day in the park.