The loss of the vials of Venezuelan equine encephatilis from Fort Detrick has people speculating about the possibility of a link between the lost vials and the recent outbreak of the swine flu. The vials were found missing when a researcher did a full inventory and couldn't account for these vials. Another researcher said they were probably lost years ago when a freezer failed and destroyed several samples. According to the report, the freezer failed before computerized databses were being used. There was no paper record of the freezer failure to verify the researcher's claim.
Venezuelan equine encephatilis is carried by mosquitos and can cause encephalitis in humans and horses. (21 Horses Die at Palm Beach Polo Match - any connection?) The virus causes flu like symptoms in humans, but rarely causes death. According to emedicine.com the virus "remains a potentially potent biological weapon." The site says the virus "is potentially susceptible to genetic manipulation in advanced laboratories," and that the alphaviruses have "characteristics that make them suited for weaponization." Furthermore, the alphaviruses "could potentially be produced in large quantities and delivered effectively via an aerosol route."
Whether or not there is a direct link to the lost virus and recent swine flu outbreaks doesn't matter. What matters is that these vials of potential biological weapons were not handled properly. Just because there was no computer record of the vials does not mean it is acceptable for them to be unaccounted for. Any kind of computer problem could wipe out the records and thousands more viruses could get lost. A systematic paper record accountability method should be in place at all times. Also, why wasn't the freezer incident recorded? Once again the question of the security of bio-labs comes to light. If military bio-labs in the United States aren't secure enough to know where their materials are, than what can be said about the bio-labs throughout the world which have much less stringent security controls?
Venezuelan equine encephatilis is carried by mosquitos and can cause encephalitis in humans and horses. (21 Horses Die at Palm Beach Polo Match - any connection?) The virus causes flu like symptoms in humans, but rarely causes death. According to emedicine.com the virus "remains a potentially potent biological weapon." The site says the virus "is potentially susceptible to genetic manipulation in advanced laboratories," and that the alphaviruses have "characteristics that make them suited for weaponization." Furthermore, the alphaviruses "could potentially be produced in large quantities and delivered effectively via an aerosol route."
Whether or not there is a direct link to the lost virus and recent swine flu outbreaks doesn't matter. What matters is that these vials of potential biological weapons were not handled properly. Just because there was no computer record of the vials does not mean it is acceptable for them to be unaccounted for. Any kind of computer problem could wipe out the records and thousands more viruses could get lost. A systematic paper record accountability method should be in place at all times. Also, why wasn't the freezer incident recorded? Once again the question of the security of bio-labs comes to light. If military bio-labs in the United States aren't secure enough to know where their materials are, than what can be said about the bio-labs throughout the world which have much less stringent security controls?
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