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2003-01-15 Home Front

Bacteria vials reported missing from US lab

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Posted by Steve 2003-01-15 01:41 pm|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#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|| 2003-01-15 14:03:02|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2003-01-15 14:50:49|| Front Page Top

#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|| [www.simmins.org] 2003-01-15 14:56:21|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2003-01-15 17:04:28|| Front Page Top

#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|| [www.nuclearspace.com] 2003-01-15 17:19:41|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2003-01-15 17:36:35|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2003-01-15 21:56:16|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2003-01-15 22:16:38|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2003-01-15 22:23:48|| Front Page Top

#10 Sloppy,house,keeping.badnews.
sorry,spacebar,bad

Posted by Raptor 2003-01-16 07:24:02|| 2003-01-16 07:24:02|| Front Page Top

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