BBC Website - Asian flu

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Labs told to destroy deadly virus

 

There are fears the samples could get into the wrong hands

The US government has told more than 3,700 laboratories in 18

countries to destroy potentially lethal influenza samples sent out in

testing kits.

The samples are of " Asian flu " , which killed more than one million

people 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 between

October 2004 and February of this year.

 

On 8 April, the US government asked the body to write to the

laboratories affected - of which 61 are outside the US and Canada -

telling them to destroy the samples.

 

The risk is considered to be low... but as long as this is out, it

is possible laboratory technicians can become infected

 

Klaus Stohr, WHO

 

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 CAP had not violated US regulations, which are now

being revised.

 

The virus - technically known as H2N2 - was classified as Biological

Safety Level 2, meaning that it was not considered particularly

dangerous.

 

But the US government agency responsible for classifying viruses, the

Center for Disease Control and Prevention, says it was in the process

of deciding whether to change the strain's classification when it

found out that it had been widely circulated.

 

The WHO says there is no guarantee that every sample of the virus can

be traced and destroyed because some of the laboratories may have

sent derivatives of the sample elsewhere.

 

But there have been no reports of anyone becoming ill from handling

the virus, which the WHO called reassuring.

 

" The risk is considered to be low... but as long as this is out it is

possible laboratory technicians can become infected, " Dr Stohr said.

 

Laboratories use the kits to show they can correctly identify

different strains of a virus.

 

They normally include strains in current or recent circulation.

 

It is hoped the laboratories will have destroyed the vials by the end

of the week.