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| Bacteria vials reported missing from US lab |
| 2003-01-15 |
| About 30 vials that possibly contain samples of the bacteria that causes bubonic plague were reported missing from a lab at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, a law enforcement official said. The official had few details but said the FBI was trying to determine what had happened to the vials at the Texas facility about 530 kilometres west of Dallas. "Apparently there are about 30 missing," he said. Apparently missing? But the official emphasised that the plague believed to be in the vials could not be used as a weapon of mass destruction. Believed to be in the vials? You don't know where you keep your plague? The vials could possibly kill one person but not a large group of people, he said. Possibly kill? Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, is usually passed to people from rodents via fleas. It caused huge epidemics in the Middle Ages - notably the Black Death that wiped out up to a third of the population in Europe. It's those little things like the wiping out one third of Europe that kind of get peoples attention. It can take on three forms - bubonic plague, which caused the terrifying black swellings or buboes that gave the Black death its name; pneumonic plague, which is far deadlier and caused when the bacteria are inhaled, and septicemic plague, which is a rare blood infection. Plague is considered a likely bioterrorist agent because it is so easy to prepare and use as a weapon and because it frightens people. Scares the crap out of me. Most likely someone put it in the rear of the fridge behind his lunch, but you would of thought they would keep better track of this stuff. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #10 Sloppy,house,keeping.badnews. sorry,spacebar,bad |
| Posted by: Raptor 2003-01-16 07:24:02 |
| #9 FWIW, some have questioned the link between modern-day plague and the "Black Death," suggesting it was caused by a different organism/virus, or that it was a combination of other diseases. [link]http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0674076133/qid=1042690769/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_6/103-6060805-5920610?v=glance&s=books[/link] |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-01-15 22:23:48 |
| #8 A little info: all universities and labs that might have stocks of anything that might be used as a weapon of mass destruction are required to provide an inventory of same to the Feds. My place of work (cell biology lab in a major Midwestern medical school) had to do this. For me, it was simple, since we don't have anything remotely resembling what they're concerned about, and I just signed a form saying that. Any lab director who did have any stocks would have to detail to the Feds quantities, security arrangements, etc. This is part of either the Homeland Security law that was just passed or a related law, since we've never done it before. I don't mind at all and I see the reason why. I suspect that what happened in Texas was that someone couldn't find the vials while doing this inventory, and that got people excited. By the way, we have strict rules in the labs: no lunches or soda cans allowed anywhere near biological and chemical agents. Breathe easy, Fred :-) |
| Posted by: Steve White 2003-01-15 22:16:38 |
| #7 Errrr..... Living in New Mexico, just next door to those who can't keep their fingers on the stuff, we normally have 4 to 12 cases of the stuff every year. There's a reason for the unofficial motto "home of the flea, land of the plague". The medical authorities here are up on the signs of the disease and, if caught in the early stages, it's easily handled. A lot of media hype. Locals are pretty good in knowing what to wear and what areas to avoid to keep the stuff from their lives. Actually, we have a higher number of pets who contract the stuff because people don't keep their animals controlled. |
| Posted by: Don 2003-01-15 21:56:16 |
| #6 Only enough plague to kill one person? I think someone forgot that you can GROW zillions of bacteria from even a small sample in a short time. It also might be possible to induce mutations that enhance resistance to antibiotics or to natural immunological mechanisms. This has already been done with animal pox viruses (admittedly a little different), and has probably already been done by the Russians with smallpox. It isn't that hard, folks. |
| Posted by: Bent Pyramid 2003-01-15 17:36:35 |
| #5 Latest link on the vials being found: Lubbock Online There is more to this than some kind of inventory foul-up or the FBI wouldn't be continuing a criminal investigation. Stay tuned. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2003-01-15 17:19:41 |
| #4 I wouldn't get too worried. Bubonic has a long incubation time and is quite treatable if the symptoms are correctly diagnosed. (Drippy nose or not, etc.) 30 vials of plague wouldn't even do as much damage as 30 squirrels from the southwest let loose in Central Park. (Remember, don't feed the squirrels.) |
| Posted by: therien 2003-01-15 17:04:28 |
| #3 This sort of stuff happens in university labs all the time. Remember there are students always around, and student and beer mix only too well. There are 20-30 plague cases in the United States every year, endemic to the Rockies and Great Basin. 1-3,000 world wide. |
| Posted by: Chuck 2003-01-15 14:56:21 |
| #2 Let's not get over-excited. That "1/3 of europe" in the 14th century works out to around 25 million people (not including, one supposes, the jews killed for "causing" the plague). The post WWI influenza pandemic killed an estimated 20 million worldwide. I don't think the jews got blamed for that one, but I could be wrong... Proportion. Always proportion. |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-01-15 14:50:49 |
| #1 This just in from radio news report, FBI reports the plague vials have been all found, no details yet. FBI says it's opening criminal investigation. |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-01-15 14:03:02 |